Telangana: Former cricketer and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the money laundering case during his tenure as the former president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). The central agency had summoned Azharuddin on Thursday, October 3, 2024, for questioning in the corruption case. However, the Congress leader did not appear on the ED summons. The agency had issued a fresh summons asking him to appear on Tuesday.
While entering the ED office in Hyderabad, Azharuddin briefly interacted with media persons and said that he was falsely accused of alleged financial irregularities during his tenure as the head of the HCA. He served as the president of the HCA from 2019 to 2023, until a Supreme Court-appointed committee removed him from the post. The former cricketer is alleged to have embezzled funds worth at least Rs 20 crore during his tenure at the cricket association. The money laundering case pertains to the misappropriation of funds during the purchase of diesel generators, fire fighting systems and other material required for the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium located in Uppal area of Hyderabad.
Ahead of the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections, Hyderabad police had booked Azharuddin, who was contesting as a Congress candidate from the Jubilee Hills constituency. The police had registered four cases against him in connection with the misappropriation of funds during his tenure at the HCA. Following this, the Congress leader was granted anticipatory bail by the Malkajgiri Court. Congress leader and former Hyderabad Cricket Association president #MohammadAzharuddin today appeared before the #EnforcementDirectorate for questioning in a corruption case. Responding to the ED summons, he said that false allegations have been levelled against him.
