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A day after former Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya got interim protection from arrest for alleged misappropriation of funds, three other former office-bearers of the BCCI urged the Mumbai high court for anticipatory bail in the same case and secured similar relief.
Directing the police not to arrest former BCCI secretary S K Nair and treasurers Kishore Rungta and Jyoti Bajpai, Justice V M Kanade posted their anticipatory bail petitions along with that of Dalmiya for hearing on Thursday.
Dalmiya had on Wednesday obtained relief from the court, which told the police not to arrest him till March 23.
Nair, Rungta and Bajpai are named in an FIR, filed by the BCCI in Mumbai's Marine Drive police station, alleging that they connived with Dalmiya in siphoning off Rs 21.74 lakh from the 1996 World Cup account.
The trio contended through their lawyers, Sayaji Nangre and Satish Maneshinde, that the FIR did not disclose any overt acts committed by them and the only reference to them is that they had connived with Dalmiya to misappropriate funds.
The former BCCI office-bearers argued that they have been dragged in only because they are ardent supporters of Dalmiya.
They said the allegations are malafide and made with a view to discredit Dalmiya and his supporters in the BCCI.
The petitioners further alleged that the FIR has been lodged out of malice and to seek vengeance against them for having supported Dalmiya and his group.