‘Rs 35L spent on bananas’: HC notice to BCCI over Rs 12cr funds misuse by cricket body

Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court (HC) on Tuesday issued notice to BCCI on petitions seeking a probe into alleged misuse of Rs 12 crore govt funds meant for organising tournaments by the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU).

The petitioners cited CAU's audit report, conducted by an external chartered accountant, that listed Rs 35 lakh as "expenditure on bananas for players."A single bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari was hearing multiple petitions filed by Dehradun resident Sanjay Rawat and others seeking an investigation into the audit report of the association's accounts for 2024-25 financial year. The report showed that Rs 6.4 crore was paid as event management fees, and a total of Rs 26.3 crore was spent on tournaments and trial expenses -- up from Rs 22.3 crore in the previous financial year.The petitioners accused the association of embezzling crores of rupees in the name of food expenses. They also alleged that facilities promised to state players were never provided.After taking cognisance of the allegations, HC scheduled the next hearing for Friday.