Indian domestic cricket has once again been marred by controversy, this time involving senior officials from the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). In a shocking development that has rocked the cricketing fraternity, three top HCA officials and two others were arrested on charges of forgery, cheating, and misappropriation of funds.
On July 9, HCA president A. Jagan Mohan Rao, treasurer C.J. Srinivas Rao, and CEO Suneel Kante were taken into custody by Telangana police. Alongside them, two senior officials from a local cricket club in Hyderabad were also arrested. Another top HCA official remains under investigation and could face arrest soon.
The action follows a formal complaint filed on June 9, 2025, by Dharam Gurava Reddy, general secretary of the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA). The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) launched an extensive probe, registering cases under serious sections of the Indian Penal Code related to forgery, breach of trust, and fraud.
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According to officials, forged documents were allegedly used to contest elections, association funds were siphoned off, and power was misused for personal benefit. The investigation also incorporated findings from a prior vigilance and enforcement report that exposed deeply troubling behavior.
Hyderabad cricket association chief Jagan Mohan Rao arrested in funds scam, charges levelled by Sunrises Hyderabad ( SRH ) #SRH #IPL #Hyderabad #Cricket #FirstUp #ITVideo pic.twitter.com/OC2Yp3pAEb
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) July 10, 2025
Notably, HCA officials were accused of pressuring the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) management for free IPL 2025 tickets, revealing a culture of entitlement and misuse of influence. Among the most damning allegations is that Jagan Mohan Rao used a fake club membership to contest the 2023 HCA elections.
He claimed to represent the Srichakra Cricket Club (formerly Gowlipura Cricket Club), but the membership documents he submitted were found to be forged. CID officials confirmed this deception, with club president G. Kavita and secretary Rajender Yadav also arrested for facilitating the fraud.
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The accused were arrested from their respective residences across Hyderabad on Wednesday night, with CID officials presenting formal arrest notices to their families. The scandal has dealt another blow to the credibility of domestic cricket governance in India, and further revelations may be on the horizon.
