After taking cognizance of a protest petition filed by Ujjal Das, former first class cricketer, the court of Jamshedpur Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) has summoned Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairman and former president of Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) Amitabh Chaudhary and three others on December 18. According to information, the court also summoned JSCA member Ranjeet Kumar Singh, JSCA former secretary Rajesh Verma and former treasurer of JSCA Govinda Mukherjee. Former life member of Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) cum former secretary of Ranchi Cricket Association Sunil Kumar Singh and former Ranji player Ujjal Das had filed the complaint against embezzlement of Rs 196.23 crore was lodged at Bistupur Police Station against JSCA's Amitabh Choudhary, Rajesh Verma, Govinda Mukherjee and Ranjit Kumar Singh on July 17, 2017.
In this case, the last testimony of Ujjal Das was held in the court on March 19, 2019. Sunil Kumar Singh appeared before the court on May 19, 2019 and Sheshnath Pathak registered his statement before the court in September 2019. After which the court took cognizance in this matter and the court has now sent notices to the accused to appear before the court. Sources informed the BCCI paid Rs 196.23 crore to the JSCA during this period and this had been revealed by the then Secretary of the BCCI Anurag Thakur in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court.
The BCCI had separately provided a huge amount of money to the JSCA for construction of the stadium.
Prior to this Chief Judicial Magistrate G K Tiwari had passed an order asking the officer-in-charge of the steel city's Bistupur police station to register an FIR for investigating the allegations against him and other former office bearers of JSCA. The order was passed on a complaint filed by Ujjal Das, a former Ranji Trophy player from the state, and JSCA life member Naresh Makani, who has also named the then secretary of the JSCA, Rajesh Verma, former treasurer Govinda Mukherjee and Ranjit Kumar Singh, a member of the state cricket body as the persons to be probed.
Police said the FIR was lodged on July 24.
Sunil Singh said that he has produced documents to prove that the fund was used for individual benefits and for commercial purposes other than cricket. According to him, the JSCA is registered under the Society Registration Act and its fund can’t be used for personal benefits. However, there are documents to prove that several members of the JSCA got benefits getting contracts to supply construction materials to the JSCA.