P R Mansingh, a former secretary of the Hyderabad Cricket Association, faces a charge of forgery relating to the ownership of six cricket clubs in the city.
Mansingh, who was manager of the Indian cricket team that won the World Cup in 1983, surrendered at the Chikkadpally police station last Friday and was released immediately on surety as he had obtained anticipatory bail from the Andhra Pradesh high court.
"Only a few days ago, I was informed that a criminal case had been filed against me. Based on that, I got anticipatory bail. That day [December 26] I went to the police station and submitted the papers," Mansingh told rediff.com
He refused to say anything more on the case on the plea that it is before the courts.
Sub-Inspector Venkatramana of the Chikkadpally police station told rediff.com that based on a lower court's direction, the police had registered a case of forgery against Mansingh in January 2003 on a complaint filed by R Vijayanand, executive member of the HCA and son of the late R Dayanand, former joint secretary of the association.
According to the complainant, Mansingh was a close associate of his father. Both served the HCA for a long time as secretary and joint secretary, respectively.
Dayanand promoted five cricket clubs and Vijayanand established one. All of these were affiliated to the HCA. Mansingh, too, promoted four cricket clubs.
After resigning from the HCA as joint secretary, Dayanand managed the six clubs he and his son had set up. After his death, Vijayanand took over the clubs and ran them for six years. But in 1999, Mansingh contested Vijayanand's control and filed a civil case.
Mansingh wrote a letter to the HCA asking it to address all future correspondence in respect of the six clubs to him. He also produced a letter purportedly signed by Dayanand authorising him to take care of the club's affairs.
When Vijayanand learnt of this, he got the letter examined by a handwriting expert who told him his father's signatures had been forged. So Vijayanand filed a criminal case in a lower court.
The magistrate directed the police to investigate the case.
After examining the letter, forensic experts also concluded that the signatures on the letter were forged. So a warrant was issued for Mansingh's arrest.
Mansingh then approached the high court and obtained anticipatory bail.
