ACA seems to cushion the blow

By our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 9: The much-hyped ACA-Bikash Baruah controversy seems to take a new twist as the Association is contemplating on staying away from taking any tough action against the controversial secretary like sacking him. Rather, the Association may ask Baruah to submit resigtion during the next governing body meeting slated to be held tomorrow at Barsapara Cricket Stadium.

The former cricketers, who were agitating against Baruah for the last several months, smelt a rat over the entire development. According to them, a section of top officials including president Gautam Roy is still giving Baruah safe guard.

Baruah was served a showcause notice following an advice from the discipliry committee of the ACA in the case of holding cheques. The committee caught Baruah on the wrong foot for holding the cheques of 61 players sent by the BCCI in 2010. The committee also recommend that if the reply of showcause notice is not satisfactory, tough action against Baruah like expulsion from the association can be taken.

Although ACA officials kept it secret about the content of the show-cause reply sent by Baruah, yet on condition of annonimiy, an ACA officials told The Sentinel, “He has sought some time, and we should consider it. However, when pointed out the discipliry committee’s earlier recommendation on Baruah, the official said, “The GB may not take any such decision if it feels that Baruah needs some time.”

The former cricketers are very upset over the entire development and they feel that some top officials of the Assam Cricket Association are still giving  safe guard to Baruah. They have not even not ruled out the chances that a few top officials might be equally involved in the corruption and they are apprehensive that if action is taken against Baruah he may expose the other officials.

Talking to The Sentinel, Sajjad Zahir Hussain, a former cricketer who is among those who want action against Baruah, admitted that they do not rule out the involvement of top ACA officials in the corrupt practices. “There is every possibility that a few top officials being involved in the corruption, and it is the reason behind going soft on Baruah,” he said. The former cricketers had planned to show demonstration at Barsapara stadium during the GB meeting tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Bhaskar Jyoti Barman, a former cricketer whose cheque was also held back by Baruah, lodged an FIR at Paltanbazar police station today. Several top cricketers -Krish Das, Arup Das, Gokul Sarma, Tarjinder Singh, Kul Saikia, are among the 61 cricketers who were deprived from their dues because of this cheque holding case.