Anurag Thakur, selector Vikram Rathour in an alleged conflict of interest

Neeraj Gunde, the Mumbai-based social activist who has been in the news recently, has written to AP Shah about national selector Vikram Rathour’s business links with BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed ombudsman former Justice AP Shah will be a very busy man in the coming days. According to a report in the Times of India, this is another conflict of interest complaint that has been reported to him adding to the long list of such cases in Indian cricket already on his desk.

Gunde filed the complaint as an independent journalist, claiming the duo have shared business connections for the last three years.

“Rathour was appointed in the senior selection committee when Thakur was the joint secretary of the BCCI. Rathour was re-appointed (as selector) in November 2015, when Thakur was the Hon Secretary of BCCI (and continues to be in that position). It is found that Rathour and or his family members and Thakur & or his family members are directors in various companies. The details gathered from public domain are attached (to the email),” Gunde wrote.

The email, a copy of which was made available to the TOI, states that Thakur is listed as a past director in a certain TGR Industries Pvt Ltd where Rathour is currently a director and his elder brother the managing director.

Thakur and Rathour both joined as directors of TGR Industries Pvt Ltd at the same time in May 2005. Another company, TGR Distributors Pvt Ltd, also lists Thakur and all the members of Rathour’s family as directors as well. Two more companies Shedar Properties Pvt Ltd and Sant Online Systems Pvt Ltd too connect the duo and their families, where they continue to serve as directors or have occupied that role previously. Now that four instances of alleged conflict between Thakur and Rathour have been pointed out by Gunde, it remains to be seen how Shah proceeds in the matter.