PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the Inspector General of Societies (IGS) to complete, within six months, the inquiry into complaints alleging misappropriation of crores of rupees by the managing committee of the Goa Cricket Association (GCA).
The direction came on a petition filed by Mahesh Chavan, who contended that despite complaints alleging diversion and misuse of funds received from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), no effective action had been taken by the IGS.
In his plea, the petitioner alleged that funds meant for cricket-related infrastructure in Goa were instead utilised for events jointly organised by the BCCI and the GCA, amounting to financial impropriety. He sought a court directive for a detailed inquiry and the appointment of an administrator to run the GCA until the probe was concluded.
Opposing the plea, Advocate General Devidas Pangam submitted that the ICS had no statutory power to appoint an administrator, as it rests with the government. He informed the court that the Inspector General is empowered to inquire into complaints and that, acting on one such complaint, a show-cause notice had already been issued to the GCA managing committee.
The AG further told the court that the matter is listed for hearing before the Inspector General on February 27, 2026, and that a period of four months had been sought to carry out further investigation.
Petitioner’s counsel Rohit Bras D’Sa, however, pressed for a clear time frame for completion of the inquiry, citing prolonged inaction despite the gravity of the allegations.
After hearing both sides, the Bench directed the IGS to hear the complainant as well as the respondents and proceed with the inquiry. The Court ordered that the entire exercise be completed within six months.
