GCA fraud: Cops clueless about who actually withdrew money

The Economic Offences Cell (EOC) of state police, which arrested three senior officials of Goa Cricket Association (GCA) for alleged misappropriation of over Rs 3 crore belonging to the organisation, is yet to identify the person who actually withdrew the money from the bank.
"We are yet to identify the person, who actually withdrew the money from the bank. Custodial interrogation of the three accused will give us leads," a senior EOC official said today.
GCA president Chetan Dessai, secretary Vinod Phadke and treasurer Akbar Mulla were arrested on Wednesday for alleged fraud of Rs 3.13 crore.
As per police complaint, the trio had fraudulently opened the bank account, in which cheques worth crores of rupees, given by the BCCI, were deposited and the money was withdrawn.

EOC is also yet to get the minutes of GCA meeting of 2006-2008 to check the resolution adopted by the committee during the time when the money was withdrawn, the official said.
"The minutes of the meeting are missing from the GCA office," he said.

Police had filed an FIR against the Dessai, Phadke and Mulla on June 3 after GCA's life member Vilas Desai filed a complaint accusing them of forging signatures and opening bank accounts to siphon off the association's money.
They had allegedly opened bank accounts between October 23, 2006 and May 23, 2008, when GCA was headed by Dayanand Narvekar. Dessai was its secretary and Phadke its treasurer at that time.

The trio prepared forged documents as well as a resolution of GCA and submitted it to the Development Credit Bank to open an account and then encashed a cheque of Rs 2.87 crore given by the BCCI to the GCA, the complaint says.
Meanwhile, a Judicial Magistrate Court today heard the
arguments from all three intervenors - Vilas Desai, Prasad Fatarpekar and Hemant Angle - in bail application of the accused.
Desai, Fatarpekar and Angle, who are life members of GCA, have filed petitions stating that they should be heard during the arguments over bail pleas. The order is reserved for Monday.

The court will also hear the arguments on bail application of Dessai, Phadke and Mulla on Monday.
All the three accused have also approached the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court claiming that intervention by three parties will delay the decision on the bail application and sought order to direct the Judicial Magistrate Court to hear the bail application as earliest.
The application will be also heard on Monday by the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court.