Is Arun Jaitley protecting corrupt Delhi Cricket Association officials?

Corruption in Delhi cricket is nothing new. Virender Sehwag threatened to quit Delhi cricket back in 2009 over allegations of nepotism and corruption. “There is more interference at the under-16 and under-19 levels than the Ranji Trophy,” Sehwag said at the time. “In a squad of 15, for instance, the sports committee tries to influence the selectors and slip in one or two of ’their own’ boys." In the end, Sehwag was talked out of quitting, reportedly by Arun Jaitley, but the allegations of corruption have never gone away. In fact, they have only got louder. [caption id=“attachment_2310116” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Arun Jaitley. AFP[/caption] According to letters sent to Jaitley over many years by former India captain, Bishen Singh Bedi, and former India cricketer, and BJP MP, Kirti Azad, embezzlement and nepotism is rampant in the Delhi & District Cricket Association and those responsible have benefited from the protection Jaitley provided, first as DDCA president for 14 years and subsequently as patron-in-chief of the association until December 2014. In Azad’s latest letter to Jaitley dated 2 June, 2015, he outlines a long list of crimes ranging from fake bills to fraudulent accounts to scams in the reconstruction of the Ferozshah Kotla stadium. “The entire stadium that has been unauthorizedly (sic) constructed is a scam. No tenders were invited, and a stadium, which was supposed to have been constructed in Rs 24 crore has already cost Rs 130 crore,” Azad states. “I have hundreds of bills which have been confirmed to be fake, and from non-existent companies, for imaginary work which has been approved by SP Bansal [current president of DDCA], Anil Khanna [general secretary and Anil Jain [joint secretary].” Naturally, age-group fraud gets a mention too. “The police has already registered an FIR in overage case involving several boys who have forged lower age documents and are thereby playing for Delhi in lower age group.” Azad goes on to warn Jaitley that “It is a just a matter of time that all your erstwhile buddies are jailed for their misdeeds and violations of law. You have tried all means somehow to save them. But as you often say –Law should take its own course. I am sure that the law will take its own course, howsoever much you try to subvert it.” According to another Azad letter to Jaitley dated 27 August 2014, the corruption amounts to a Rs 150-crore scam in total The letters from Azad aren’t just speculation or sour grapes. According to Outlook magazine, an investigation by the Serious Fraud Investigation office, prompted by Azad’s persistence, “lists 23 instances of misappropriation of funds, non-paym¬ent of taxes, not following the tendering route, hiring of tainted auditors and irregularities concerning management of membership, ticketing and so on.” The magazine goes on to state that “no effort was made to cover up the irregularities. The only possible explanation is that the DDCA was confident of political patronage and consequent immunity from investigation and prosecution. Of course, no further action was initiated on the damning report.” It isn’t just ex-cricketers such as Azad and Bedi who are frustrated and angry either. According to a story in ESPNcricinfo, current Delhi cricketers are also frustrated with age-group fraud, calling it “ worse than ever before” and non-payment of their match fees. Through all this, Jaitley’s only response has been to berate Azad for his allegations. “When I met Jaitley, instead of giving me an honest hearing, he went on a tirade against Kirti Azad, for making wild charges against an apparently lily-white DDCA management,” Bishen Singh Bedi told Outlook. Jaitley has taken to trumpeting a corruption-free India since BJP won the 2014 election and Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister. But it appears rampant corruption has been taking place not only under his watch, but also perhaps with his tacit approval. You can read Azad’s letter to Jaitley below: