HCA row: Telangana HC bats for ex-SC judge Verma as ombudsman

HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court has upheld the appointment of Justice Deepak Verma, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, as ombudsman-cum-ethics officer of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).
Giving a categorical ruling that HCA secretary R Vijayanand had connived with Budding Star Cricket Club (BSCC), a local cricket club, to stall the appointment of ombudsman-cum-ethics officer, Justice MS Ramachandra Rao directed BSCC and Vijayanand to pay Rs 25,000 to Charminar Cricket Club (CCC) towards legal costs after the latter approached the high court with a civil revision plea.
Justice Ramachandra Rao in his judgment said Vijayanand was a party to the June 6, 2020, meeting of the apex council of HCA which had decided to appoint Justice Verma as ombudsman. Later, Vijayanand tried to sabotage this decision by furnishing false information that the apex council had opposed the appointment before a civil court in Hyderabad.
Setting aside the civil court order, the judge said HCA president Mohammed Azharuddin was sidelined by the secretary and other members of the apex council.
Stating that continuation of the case before the civil court would further frustrate the cause of HCA and embarrass the ombudsman, Justice Rao dismissed the petition pending before the civil court.
Vedula Srinivas, counsel for the CCC, alleged that the petition before the civil court was filed at the behest of the HCA secretary who did not want scrutiny of HCA accounts or actions by the ombudsman.
“Vijayanand does not want the appointment of an ombudsman since he owns as many as eight cricket clubs. HCA treasurer Surender Agarwal and member Syed Moizuddin own four cricket clubs each. As per the new norms, they become ineligible to hold any posts in the HCA. They connived and set up the BSCC to challenge the appointment of Justice Verma before the civil court,” the petitioner alleged.
Earlier, following a petition by the BSCC, the civil court had suspended the appointment of Justice Verma on the grounds that his appointment was made without obtaining the opinion of the annual general body meeting consisting of all the members of the HCA. Local cricket clubs are members of the HCA. Aggrieved by the suspension order which prevented Justice Verma from functioning as ombudsman, CCC moved the high court.
The emergence of ombudsman was the result of recommendations made by Justice RM Lodha, who made far-reaching recommendations to rid cricket bodies across the country of many ills associated with them.