Observing that the Cricket Club of India (CCI) membership fraud is a serious issue and the police should be given an opportunity for custodial interrogation, the Bombay High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail application of Sandeep Jain, a bonafide CCI member.
Jain has been accused of conniving with one Khaled Kazi, who was in charge of the IT department of the CCI, to help 11 persons obtain membership to the elite club through fraudulent means and forgery.
According to police, the duo used to take Rs five lakh from each of the 11 persons to include their names as members of the club.
While Kazi has been arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the crime branch department of the city police, Jain had approached the sessions court seeking anticipatory bail. When the lower court rejected the plea, Jain petitioned the High court.
"The present applicant (Jain) has seconded the membership proposals of various applicants and children of three members who were inducted by use of fraudulent act and forgery. The seconding of these proposals cannot be regarded as sheer coincidence. There is positive involvement of the applicant along with Khaled Kazi. This only corroborates the applicant's complicity to the act of forgery as abater and conspirator," Justice A H Joshi said.
The court further observed that the allegations levelled are of a serious nature and the police should be given the opportunity to interrogate the applicant in custody.
The court, however, granted Jain relief till October 21 to either approach the Supreme Court or surrender.
The CCI, which currently has 9000 members, had stopped admitting direct members in 2007. It was allowing only children of existing members to be included as members.
