DDCA Ombudsman Verma now also in charge of Hyderabad Cricket Association

By Baidurjo Bhose
New Delhi [India], September 9 : Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Ombudsman Justice (retd) Deepak Verma has accepted Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) President Mohammad Azharuddin's request and has taken over as the Ombudsman of HCA.
There was some confusion with regards to his appointment with the HCA Secretary, Joint Secretary and Treasurer saying that no approval or consent was taken from them before requesting Verma to take charge.
But the DDCA Ombudsman in a letter to the members of the Apex Council, accessed by ANI, has cleared the air and said he in fact received the letter requesting him to take charge from secretary R. Vijayanand.
"The letter for my approval had been received by me from Mr R Vijayanand (secretary) himself. After receiving this letter from the Secretary, I had given my oral consent to the same. Since these are unprecedented times, certain unprecedented decisions also needed to be taken in proper and smooth functioning of HCA. In pursuance of the same, it was resolved in the meeting dated 06.06.2020 that, due to outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, it would not be possible to conduct an AGM as of now and the decision to conduct the AGM had been deferred till the next date of hearing.
"In the same meeting, it was also resolved that it would not be proper to wait for AGM to be held, for appointment of Ombudsman and that appointment can be carried out even now and the ratification can be taken later on, from the General Body. It is pertinent to mention here that, all the Office Bearers had attended the above mentioned meeting themselves and had raised no objection at that point of time," Verma wrote.
Verma was sent emails on September 3 and 6 wherein he was told that the appointment letter was sent without relevant approval. Clearing that there is no illegality in his appointment, the ombudsman said that the secretary, joint secretary and treasurer have no rights to question his selection for the position.
"It has also been stated in the letter dated 03.09.2020 that no prior approval or consent was taken from Secretary, Joint Secretary and Treasurer. To this effect, I would once again like to jog your memory and would remind you that, it was R. Vijayanand who had sent me the letter for my consent (to act as Ombudsman of HCA) and moreover he along with Joint Secretary and Treasurer were also the attendees of Apex Council Meeting(s) dated 16.03.2020 and 06.06. 2020, wherein decision with regard to my appointment was taken. No objection had been raised by any member of Apex Council in the said meetings.
"I would like to make it clear that, there is no illegality in my appointment as Ombudsman. The decision of my appointment shall be ratified at the time of next AGM. However, you as a Secretary, Joint Secretary and Treasurer have no right to question my appointment, more so when you yourself have consented and have raised no objection to the same during various Apex Council meetings," he pointed.
Verma also asked the trio to refrain from writing such emails or letters to him, failing which appropriate action shall be taken against them.