PANJIM: In a shocking move Dr Shekhar Salkar, interim president of Goa Cricket Association (GCA) issued a self cheque worth Rs 55,80,000 to pay the fees to the lawyers engaged by him to fight against the 22 clubs opposing his dictate, the day before he pulled out of the race for the president of the extremely cash filled GCA.
It is reliably learn that he did the payments from the GCA funds and the clubs were quick to respond to his actions.
The money was withdrawn while the election process was on with no ratification from the management committee. Dr Salkar did this after sacking Secretary Chetan Desai.
This act of Dr Salkar and his team consisting of Vilas Desai, Treasurer and Amrish Naik was committed after the Bombay High Court had earlier dissolved the existing election committee of the GCA and constituted a three member committee headed by retired judge of the Bombay High Court, Justice A P Lawande, Lawandis and Senior advocate Nitin Sardesai to oversee the GCA polls.
The Supreme Court had also restrained the outgoing managing committee from taking any financial or important decisions while allowing it to carry out (only) the day-to-day functioning of the GCA. Dr Salkar obviously has flouted that.
The 22 clubs strongly objected to the payments from GCA coffers stating that he (Dr Salkar) has utilised GCA funds to fight against their own clubs.
They felt he was responsible for the whole fiasco and hence the bill should have been footed by him instead of digging into the GCA funds.
The clubs taking note of the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court’s order would wait until the elections results was announced and then they would file a police complaint against Dr Salkar for fraudulently utilizing GCA funds, according to senior representatives of the clubs, some of who are expected to be in the new committee which will take office, after the High Court declared the elections.
Dr Salkar strongly defended his action of paying the lawyers stating he was doing it within his rights.
“I had to pay the lawyers. GCA had engaged their services and hence it was well within my rights to pay the lawyers fees,” said Dr Salkar.
