5,500-page chargesheet

According to the 5,500-page chargesheet filed by the EOW, Dalmiya, Chaudhary and Dutta were involved in diverting funds from an INDCOM account opened by the BCCI in the Bhowanipore branch of the Indian Overseas Bank, Kolkata. The INDCOM account was meant for fighting 64 cases filed by the Income Tax department on the running of a PILCOM account opened in London by the organising committee of the 1996 Cricket World Cup, which was jointly hosted by the Pakistani, Indian and Sri Lankan boards.

According to the police, the account had to be operated only by the secretary or treasurer of the BCCI. Dalmiya ceased to be secretary in July 1997, when he took over as the chief of the International Cricket Council, but continued to operate the account by allegedly giving the bank a copy of a forged resolution of the BCCI.

According to the chargesheet, between July 1997 and 2006, Dalmiya withdrew money from the account for paying hotel expenses (Rs 24.56 lakh), telephone bills (Rs 85.54 lakh), stationery and car rentals (Rs 38.82 lakh), and travel expenses and foreign exchange (Rs 53.41 lakh).

Phone bills

The police said some funds were used for paying the telephone bills of companies floated by Dalmiya, his personal phones, and one registered in his mother’s name. Reacting to these charges, Maneshinde said, “This is very normal. Even the late Madhavrao Scindia’s bills were paid in this manner when he was the BCCI chief.”

... contd.