New Delhi: Four months after the BCCI closed an internal investigation into Akram Saifi for allegedly seeking sexual favours in return for selections in Uttar Pradesh’s under-23 team, the IPL chief’s aide was seen sporting an all-access stadium pass at the T20 match between India and the West Indies at the Ekana stadium on November 6.
Akram Saifi is the personal assistant to IPL chairman and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla. Earlier in July, a Lucknow-based news channel, News 1, broadcast a sting operation in which Saifi is heard asking for sexual favours and money from individuals in exchange for their selection in UP’s under-23 team.
The BCCI agreed to launch an investigation into Saifi’s misconduct based on the sting operation. In one of the recordings, Saifi can purportedly be heard asking player Rahul Sharma to bring prostitutes to his hotel room in exchange for his selection in the under-23 cricket team. The board also requested the tapes for reviewing the matter, but dropped the probe within weeks because of Saifi’s resignation from the IPL.
The board explained that they did not pursue the probe into Saifi’s alleged misconduct due to his resignation. However, rule 32 of the BCCI regulations clearly states that any complaint of misconduct has to be decided by a commissioner, who must submit his findings within 15 days of launching a probe.
However, an investigation by the Indian Express revealed that in giving Saifi a clean chit, the BCCI is in contravention of its own anti-corruption guidelines. Also, the BCCI reportedly ignored several red flags raised by cricketers and officials. Upon traveling to Sharanpur – Saifi’s base – and speaking with local cricketers and officials, it was discovered that even after his resignation, Saifi continued to exercise a vast amount of influence on the state’s team selection process while flaunting his proximity to Shukla.
Uttar Pradesh has recently become India’s wellspring of cricketing talent, with at least eight players from the state representing India at the national level.
Vinod Rai, chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators running the BCCI, told the Indian Express that no probe or investigation could be initiated against Saifi once he was sacked by the chairman. The reason being that his position then became that of a personal assistant and not a certified BCCI employee.
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However, coming under considerable pressure from ex-players and officials, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) directed its ombudsman to examine the charges against Saifi. After nearly three months, the ombudsman, Justice (retired) C.K. Prasad, gave Saifi a clean chit, observing that the allegations against him were “untrue, untrustworthy and fit to be rejected”.
Saifi’s boss, Rajeev Shukla, had appointed Justice Prasad as the UPCA ombudsman in 2016.
As part of the investigation, Justice Prasad interviewed Rahul Sharma, who reportedly retracted his allegations against Saifi, the current UPCA chairman and Shukla loyalist Yudhvir Singh and three other selectors.
When asked about the probe, Shukla maintained that proper procedures were followed during the investigation and that the clean chit to was given by Justice Prasad, who was referred to as a “very strict man”.
The report, however, was not comprehensive as it did not take into account the allegations of others who featured in the sting. They include Anurag Mishra, who runs an academy in Unnao, and was allegedly threatened by Saifi for making accusatory posts against the UPCA selection process on social media. Among those who were not questioned during the investigation was selector Manoj Mudgal – who, during the sting, was blamed by Saifi for scuttling Rahul Sharma’s chances of being selected.
Justice Prasad responded to the Indian Express’s request for comments by stating that he has nothing to add or subtract from the report.
Saifi has reportedly denied all allegations against him. Pointing out that he has nothing to do with UP cricket, Saifi has said he will continue to be Shukla’s assistant.