GCA files complaint in Rs 2.87 cr alleged fraud

The Goa Cricket Association (GCA) today filed a police complaint alleging that signatures of their top three officials were forged and a fake bank account was created in 2007 to siphon off Rs 2.87 crore funds.
GCA president Chetan Desai and secretary Vinod Phadke filed a complaint with Porvorim police that Rs 2.87 crore cheque issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in GCA's name in 2007 was fraudulently encashed by an unknown person.
In 2007, the GCA was headed by Dayanand Narvekar. While Desai was its secretary at that time, Phadke was its treasurer.
In the complaint, the officials also claimed that they were not even aware of the BCCI cheque issued in 2007.

Desai and Phadke alleged that some unidentified person forged their signatures as well as that of treasurer Akbar Mulla (who was also an office-bearer of the association in 2007), to open an account in the Development Credit Bank in Panaji to siphon off the BCCI cheque of Rs 2.87 crore.
The officials said that the alleged fraud came to GCA's knowledge recently.

"It is suspected that the account might have been opened under the forged signatures of Desai and Phadke. It also appears that some person associated with the GCA office and functioning at the relevant time has got hold of the cheque and misappropriated the funds by opening of fraudulent account in the name of GCA under forged signatures," the association said in the complaint.

"We are in the process of obtaining the relevant documents from the bank, including the account opening form, statement of account as well as the photocopies of the cheques allegedly issued in the name of the GCA for withdrawing money from the account," the complaint states.
Porvorim police inspector Jivba Dalvi said, "Based on their complaint, an investigation is being carried out and all the relevant documents would be procured to get to the bottom of the case.