Hyderabad: In a tense and subdued emergency Apex Council meeting convened by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) at its registered office at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal on Saturday, vice-president Daljeet Singh was elected acting president.
According to Rule 7 (2 a, b) of the HCA constitution, “The Vice President shall officiate in the President’s absence when the President is unavailable. The Vice President shall also exercise such functions and duties as he may be empowered with by the General Body or the Apex Council.”
The meeting was called following the arrest of HCA president A. Jaganmohan Rao and treasurer C.J. Srinivasa Rao by CID sleuths. The Apex Council convened the meeting urgently to fill the leadership vacuum and ensure the continued functioning of the association.
The atmosphere in the meeting — attended by vice-president Daljeet Singh, joint secretary T. Basavaraju, councillor Sunil Agarwal and CAG representative D. Rajashekar, IA&AS — was notably grim and fearful. Members appeared reluctant to speak or propose any new initiatives, with many visibly apprehensive about the implications of the ongoing CID investigation.
Sources indicate that the probe is likely to extend beyond the two arrested officials, potentially implicating other senior members of the HCA. This looming uncertainty cast a shadow over the proceedings, effectively stalling any substantive discussion.
Though the primary agenda was to empower the existing council members to oversee HCA activities during this crisis, the meeting concluded without addressing any issues beyond the election of Daljeet Singh as acting president. The council decided to reconvene on Tuesday to deliberate further, hoping for more clarity on the investigation and its impact on the association.
Insiders say that the fear of being implicated or questioned by CID has created a climate of silence and caution within the HCA leadership, complicating efforts to stabilise the administration during this critical period.
