High Court questions motives behind Dalmiya case

The Bombay High Court has questioned the motives and timing of the complaint against Jagmohan Dalmiya, in the case relating to misappropriation of funds during the 1996 World Cup, and cast doubts over the role of the Maharashtra state government in the matter.

Dalmiya, who was accused of misappropriating funds from the organising committee of the 1996 World Cup, was granted anticipatory bail last month. But in an order passed on April 10, but made public only on April 17, Justice VM Kanade pointed out that the case of irregularities in the withdrawal of 2.174 million rupees (US$49,000) from the organising committee of the 1996 World Cup was thoroughly investigated by the Directorate of Enforcement and Reserve Bank of India and Dalmiya was "exonerated" from all charges.

"If the chronology of events and the facts and material which is placed on record is taken into consideration, prima facie, in my view, it is established that the allegations made in the complaint and the material which is placed on record does not establish the allegation of misappropriation of amounts," Kanade wrote in his report. "It also does not establish that the account was opened without the knowledge of the complainant. Further, it does not indicate that the amounts have been used for the personal benefit of the petitioner Shri Dalmiya.

"The reply which is filed by the petitioner Shri Dalmiya to the queries which were raised in the meeting held on 21/2/2006 clearly indicates that there were 64 cases initiated by the Income-tax Department in Calcutta and therefore the Office of the PILCOM convenor-secretary had to be continued and some staff members were to be kept to keep tab on the cases. Considering the material which is available as of today there appears to be a grain of truth in the allegation of the petitioner Shri Dalmiya that the complaint was filed hurriedly without affording reasonable opportunity to him and was a ruse to remove him permanently from the competition."