Laxmikant Parsekar refuses to interfere in arrest of Goa Cricket Association officials

In wake of the arrest of Goa Cricket Association (GCA) president Chetan Desai, its secretary Vinod Phadke and treasurer Akbar Mulla on charges of alleged fraud, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Thursday refused to interfere, saying the law will take its own course.

"I will not interfere. Let the investigation continue. The law of the land is there and it will take its own course," said Parsekar.

He added they the police should not be pressurised in this matter.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Goa Police had on June 3 registered an FIR against the trio in connection with the alleged fraud of Rs 3.13 crores.

The police had registered a case against the accused under Sections 408, 409 (criminal breach of trust), 419 (cheating by impersonation), 463, 464, 468 (forged documents), 471 (fraud), 420 (cheating) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Vilas Desai, GCA's life member, had filed a complaint accusing Desai and the other two of forging signatures and opening bank accounts to siphon off the association's money.

According to Shekhar Salkar, the acting president of the Goa Cricket Association between November 2014 and June 2015, Desai, Phadke and Mulla had en-cashed a TV subsidy from the BCCI worth INR 2.87 crore.