Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin failed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the Hyderabad Cricket Association.

According to PTI, the 61-year-old was asked to depose before the central agency at its office here on October 3 and get his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The former Congress MP, however, sought more time from the agency. He has been issued a fresh summons for October 8, according to reports.

In November last year, the ED had conducted searches related to alleged financial irregularities in the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).

The ED had then raided the premises of former office bearers of the HCA, including former HCA vice president and Indian cricketer Shivlal Yadav, Congress MLA and ex-HCA president Gaddam Vinod, former HCA secretary Arshad Ayub apart from the office of a company called S S Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and the residential premise of its managing director (MD), Satyanarayana.

The agency is investigating Azharuddin’s actions during his time as the HCA president. The former Indian skipper, who ran for Assembly polls last year, has not yet responded.

The money laundering case is based on three FIRs and charge sheets filed by the Telangana anti-corruption bureau (ACB), alleging misappropriation of HCA funds amounting to Rs 20 crore.

The charge sheets allege serious irregularities in the procurement of DG sets, firefighting systems, and canopies for the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad. The ED previously stated that despite deadlines, several works were delayed, resulting in increased costs, budget enhancements, and corresponding losses to the HCA.

The office bearers of the HCA, including the then secretary, president, vice-president, and others, allegedly colluded with private parties to secure tenders and works at higher than market rates without proper tender processes. The agency also alleged that advance payments were made to many contractors without any work being done.

The ED’s raids last year led to the seizure of digital devices, incriminating documents, and unaccounted cash of Rs 10.39 lakh.

Azharuddin, a former cricketer, started his political career by winning the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and currently serves as the working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC).

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he is an expert in telling lies and asked not to fall for BJP’s election promises as it never fulfilled commitments made to voters earlier.

Addressing a poll rally at Badhra in Charkhi Dadri, Kharge hit out at BJP over several issues, including demands for debt waiver and legal guarantee on MSP from farmers, and claimed people have made up their minds to bring the Congress to power in the state.

“Modi ji toh bharosa todne walo ka bhi sardar hai (Modi is the leader of those who break trust.) His numerous lies, promises, you know about them,” he said in the presence of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik.

Referring to Congress’ election promises in Haryana, Kharge said the party has given seven guarantees in its manifesto including Rs 2,000 per month for women and told Hooda, who was standing behind him, “You will have to keep my honour”.

“It is Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s birth anniversary today. Mahatma Gandhi taught us truth and non-violence. I don’t want to say this – how much truth and how much lies those in power speak,” he said.

The Congress chief said: “Under the Congress government, Haryana was number one in the country in per capita income, per capita investment, law and order, employment generation and sportspersons. But BJP made it number one in unemployment and inflation. The cost of farmers increased manifold but their income did not increase. In 10 years, BJP benefited the capitalists but exploited the farmers, small businessmen, labourers and youth.”

The grand old party has not named its chief ministerial candidate, but Hooda is a frontrunner for the post. The state will go for polls on Saturday.

Invoking Lal Bahadur Shastri’s “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” slogan, he said the BJP doesn’t “know about jawans or kisans”.

“They only know the RSS’ agenda. No one is a farmer in the RSS or BJP. This is why they don’t understand the pain of the farmers. They help people like Adani-Ambani and not farmers. They don’t give MSP guarantee, but Modi waives Rs 16 lakh crore debt of the rich,” he said and also criticised the Agnipath military recruitment scheme.

An Indian Air Force Advanced Light Helicopter on Wednesday made a precautionary landing during flood relief operations in Bihar’s Sitamarhi sector. The authorities said that four personnel, including two pilots, were on board, and all are safe.

Taking to X, the IAF has informed that all crew are reported to be safe, with no damage to civilian life or property. Rakesh Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police said that the helicopter was returning from Darbhanga after air-dropping relief supplies. He added that the helicopter made an emergency landing in a water-logged area in Aurai block. He said that all the occupants were IAF personnel and they were pulled out by locals by the time officials reached the spot.

Subrat Kumar Sen, District magistrate said that all four occupants appear safe and unharmed. Nonetheless, as a precaution, all the four personnel, including two pilots are being taken to a local hospital for check-up and treatment, if required. Furthermore, the Indian Air Force has ordered an inquiry to get further details on the landing. 

Several videos of the incident have gone viral on social media, showing the helicopter resting in shoulder-deep water. Locals hurried to the spot to assist in the rescue. Reportedly, large areas of land are underwater near the Nepal border owing to the water released from a barrage on the border. Several districts of Bihar got flooded along the rivers Gandak and Kosi in the past few days. 

The disaster management authority has informed that the flood has affected 368 panchayats in 78 blocks of 16 districts and nearly 11.8 lakh people are facing hardship because of the flood. It further asserted that the Indian Air Force helicopters are actively helping people in Sitamarhi and Darbhanga districts. Reports stated that helicopters have air dropped food packets and other relief materials, benefiting more than 200,000 people.