The Surat Eco Cell has arrested Kanaiya Contractor (82), president of the Surat District Cricket Association (SDCA), in a Rs 2.92 crore cheating and forgery case. Contractor, who is wheelchair-bound, was taken into custody after a medical check-up confirmed his fitness for arrest.
The case, lodged on October 24, 2024, followed a complaint by Nayna Contractor, widow of Contractor’s late younger brother, Hemant Contractor, alleging that Kanaiya had mortgaged family property using forged signatures while she and Hemant were abroad. The property, RDS House, jointly owned by the family, is valued at around Rs 3 crore.
According to police, Kanaiya allegedly secured a loan of Rs 2.92 crore in 2009 from a private finance company using a power of attorney with forged signatures of Nayna and Hemant. The fraud came to light when Kanaiya failed to repay Rs 67 lakh, prompting a notice from the finance company.
DCP (Eco Cell) Dr. Karanraj Vaghela stated that Contractor had approached both the High Court and Supreme Court for interim relief, but his pleas were rejected, allowing the arrest to proceed. Contractor will be produced in court, and finance company officials will be called to verify the loan documents.
The Contractor family has a prominent cricketing legacy in Surat, having donated land for the Lalbhai Contractor Cricket Stadium. Kanaiya and Hemant were sons of Lalbhai Contractor, one of the founders of the Cricket Club of India (CCI), Mumbai. Following Hemant’s death last year, Kanaiya was elected SDCA president, defeating a panel formed in his late brother’s name.
