Fisticuffs at Delhi association AGM, new ombudsman appointed

New Delhi, December 29

Disgraceful scenes were witnessed during the Annual General Meeting of the Delhi and District Cricket Associations (DDCA) today, when members/officials exchanged blows and shoved each other on the stage as the gathering broke into pandemonium.

Justice (Retd) Deepak Verma was appointed DDCA’s new ombudsman during the AGM. Verma replaces Justice (Retd) Badar Durrez Ahmed, only a day after Ahmed asked DDCA members to exercise restraint.

A DDCA statement said the members had unanimously “passed the resolutions and agendas”, but sources in the controversy-plagued cricket body say that the AGM had its share of drama.

Blows were exchanged and ruling group’s joint secretary Rajan Manchanda was slapped by opposition’s Maqsood Alam. Following Ahmed’s suggestion, the proceedings at the AGM were video-recorded.

“Honourable Justice Deepak Verma (Retd) was appointed as the new ombudsman by the members,” the DDCA press statement said.

Disruption

A source said the AGM was “disrupted by supporters of general secretary Vinod Tihara after resolution 3, 4 and removal of Justice Badar was defeated by almost 75 percent” of the members.

While the first two points on the agenda were accounts-related, the third was regarding re-appointment of two directors, and the fifth referred to the appointment of the new ombudsman.

“The supporters of Vinod Tihara also manhandled MLA Shri Om Prakash Sharma and the attendance register was also snatched,” the source said, and added: “After their agenda was defeated the meeting was deliberately disrupted.”

Braving the chilling cold, members came in large numbers for the AGM, and they included former treasurer Narinder Batra and former president SP Bansal. “There were five agendas for the meeting — passing of annual accounts, appointment of statutory auditors, reappointment of retiring directors, adoption of new articles and appointment of ombudsman,” the DDCA statement said.

DDCA is also likely to appoint its new president soon. — TNS, PTI

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‘Shameful’

Former India opener and Delhi captain Gautam Gambhir, now a BJP Member of Parliament, described the incident during the AGM as “shameful”.

“DDCA is all out for a shameful duck. Look, how handful of crooks are making mockery of an institution. I’d urge BCCI, S Ganguly, Jay Shah to dissolve DDCA immediately. Surely, sanctions or even a life ban for those involved,” Gambhir wrote on Twitter.