Former BCCI chief's house raided, IT department prepares documents

Income Tax authorities on Sunday raided the house of a former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai. During the search, a substantial amount of jewellery and a bank locker was sealed. According to PTI sources close to the department, the officials said "this was part of a follow up exercise as we had recovered some documents which gave us a clue. We have not yet assessed the jewellery nor searched the locker."

The IT officials also said they were awaiting the return of a former Indian captain and his wife from Hyderabad for questioning and opening their lockers. The officials added a search on two lockers belonging to a relative of a cricketer and his wife yielded in seizure of jewellery worth Rs seven lakhs. IT authorities added that they have so far opened 15 out of 17 bank lockers sealed during the searches. Two more lockers of Ajay Jadeja at Kotayyam and Jamnagar were scheduled to be opened next week.

Meanwhile in New Delhi, department authorities said they were preparing a report on the documents and other material found during the nationwide operation conducted on July 20-21. Sources close to the department said the IT authorities had seized a great deal of documents and papers relating to transactions. The report would be completed only after all the lockers sealed during the raids were opened,'' the sources said, adding "the assessment can be completed only after opening all the lockers. They added an appraisal report on all raids had to be completed and for that the department needed the presence of two players who were abroad. The CBI has conveyed to the department that former India player Ajay Sharma would return to the country after completing his league cricket engagements. The other player Nikhil Chopra is also abroad.

On a separate front, South African Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour said in Johannesburg that the dates for the visit of state prosecutor Shamila Batohi to India have not yet been finalised. The minister was quoted by IANS as saying that he had the necessary letters of authority for the visit by Batohi and investigator Captain Geoff Edwards. They will leave as soon as possible to listen to the tapes in possession of Delhi Police that originally led to the Commission being established.