Dalmia arrested for fund cheating, released on bail

The former president of International Cricket Council (ICC) and Board of Control and Cricket in India (BCCI) Jagmohan Dalmia was arrested on Wednesday by the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on charge of allegedly misappropriating Rs 2.90 crore of the cricket body fund meant for 1996 World Cup. Later, Dalmia was hastily released on bail of Rs 25,000.

Dalmia was taken to a Mumbai court and was subsequently granted bail as per the provisions of High Court order, which granted him anticipatory bail two years ago in 2006 when he was embroiled in fray for BCCI chief and was to face defeat by the current president Sharad Pawar.

After completing its investigation of the Dalmia’s involvement into the misappropriation of BCCI funds, the EOW filed a chargesheet against him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to cheating, criminal breach of trust and conspiracy.

After getting bail, Dalmia accompanied by his lawyer left the Economic Offences Wing for the Esplanade Court, where EOW will file the new chargesheet.

His secretary K M Chaudhury was also arrested and later released on bail while the third accused, Gautam Dutta, was earlier arrested and released on bail.

The chargesheet will be filed against him and two others, his secretary K M Choudhury and one Gautam Dutta, for allegedly embezzlement of Rs 2.90 crore of the Cricket Control Board's funds.

Details of the case

Dalmiya, as BCCI chief, was authorised to operate an Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) account along with PCB for Pakistan-India-Sri Lanka Committee (PILCOM), the organising committee of the 1996 World Cup.

"Where is the PILCOM money and under whose account?" a top BCCI official did not get satisfactory answer when asked earlier to Dalmia. "It is under Income Tax litigation," Dalmiya apparently told the members, but could not satisfy them with his answer.

The account was closed by Sharad Pawar when he became the BCCI president in 2006. The BCCI then asked Dalmiya to provide details of the spent funds. The cricket board accused him of using over Rs 21 lakh from the account for his personal use.

Acting on a case filed by the BCCI in March 2006 after Sharad Pawar elected for the BCCI president, the EOW found that Dalmiya diverted funds from the legal fees towards other expenses, comprising payment for personal phone bills, hotel bills and for purchasing foreign exchange and stationery.