Panaji: Mahesh Desai, who had contested election against Vipul Fadke in Goa Cricket Association, has written to the Ombudsman cum Ethics Officer Justice (Rtd) Rajiv Lochan Mehrotra demanding that the election of the former be declared null and void accusing him of being involved in misappropriation of funds.
Desai has said that the election to the Managing Committee of GCA which was held on 27.10.2022 by illegal, unlawaful and criminal misappropriation of funds of the Association and in violation of Code of Conduct of BCCI be declared null and void.
“You are called upon to take cognizance of the present Complaint and adjudicate upon the same by following due procedure under the Rules of the Goa Cricket Association and BCCI and declare Mr. Vipul Phadke election as president of Goa Cricket Association 2022/2025 as null and void and declare me as elected President of Goa Cricket Association for the term 2022/2025, as there were no other candidates contesting for the said post of President,” he said.
Desai is a former Ranji Trophy player and President of Sunny Sports Club.
The complaint mentions that Phadke was the Secretary of the Goa Cricket Association from 2019
to 2022, term of three years. That on 02/8/22 the Managing Committee of the Goa Cricket Association in its Meeting decided to appoint Dr. Modassir as the Electoral Officer for the elections to the Managing Committee of the Goa Cricket Association to be held at the end of Oct 2022.
“That as per the Constitution of GCA the managing committee shall decide upon date, time and venue for the conduct of the election and appoint election officer and decide about members with voting rights n their president/secretary. That as such, on 02/08/22 the decision of holding the elections somewhere around 45 days after 2/8/22 around end of Oct 2022 was known to the members of the Managing Committee of the Goa Cricket Association, which included Mr. Vipul Phadke. So also, in the same meeting the list of president/secretary of member clubs having voting rights were finalised.”
“It is relevant that Mr. Vipul Phadke was holding the post of Secretary of the Managing Committee of the Goa Cricket Association when the said decision of appointing the Electoral Officer was taken.”
“The Managing Committee of the Goa Cricket Association on 02/08/2022 were aware that the elections are to be held soon, around the end of October 2022. That having the said knowledge, Mr. Vipul Phadke, Secretary of the GCA decided to allot funds and various other benefits to some member Clubs, which are members of the Goa Cricket Association with voting rights, just on the eve of the elections, when the election procedure had already commenced, between 6/10/2022 to 27/10/2022.”
“The said funds and other benefits were allotted to the member clubs in order to influence them before the upcoming elections, by criminal misappropriation of funds of the Goa Cricket Association in total violation of Code of Conduct of elections of BCCI.”
“The Managing Committee of the Goa Cricket Association, specially the then Secretary Vipul Phadke on 02/08/22, were aware that the elections are to be held around end of October 2022 and knew exactly who will be voters on behalf of club members. That having the said knowledge, Mr. Vipul Phadke decided to allot funds and various other benefits to some member Clubs, which are members of the Goa Cricket Association with voting rights, just on the eve of the elections between was on 6/10/22 to 27/10/22.”
“The said funds and other benefits were allotted to the member Clubs in order to influence them before the upcoming elections, by criminal misappropriation of funds of the Goa Cricket Association. The following is the chart of the funds allotted and benefits given to various clubs when the process of election was on. 6/10/22 to 27/10/22.”
