Six young cricketers from Ratnagiri have fallen victim to a scam, losing nearly Rs63 lakh under the false pretense of being offered guest player roles in the Ranji Trophy. The Malad police have initiated a case against two individuals, Prashant Kamble and Devesh Upadhyay, on charges of embezzlement and fraud.
Kamble is identified as the primary perpetrator of the scheme, while Upadhyay allegedly posed as an assistant to film actor Sonu Sood to make the opportunity appear more appealing.
Investigations revealed that the cricketers received counterfeit selection letters supposedly from the Bihar, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram Cricket Associations. Another complainant, Santosh Chavan, a Kherdi resident in Chiplun who runs an event management company, introduced the young players to the accused.
Chavan’s company has organized various events, including political gatherings and cricket matches, for the past 15 years. He met Kamble during one of these events, where both played for the Ratnagiri team. Kamble later secured a position on the Mumbai under-23 team, and their friendship deepened. Kamble then introduced Chavan to Upadhyay, who claimed to have ties with actor Sonu Sood.
Over time, Upadhyay convinced Chavan of his connections with senior BCCI officials and assured him that his players would get a chance to participate in the Ranji Trophy. Trusting Upadhyay, Chavan recommended six talented players. After assessing their skills, Kamble invited them for net practice in Goregaon.
Following detailed discussions, Chavan shared the players’ information and documents with Kamble, who then provided fake selection letters on the letterheads of the Manipur and Bihar Cricket Associations. This fraudulent process commenced in October 2018 and persisted until 2022, involving numerous discussions and money transfers.
However, the players were never informed about the actual competition. Due to new BCCI regulations, those designated as guest players were now required to compete as local players. The six young cricketers were sent to Nagaland, Manipur, Bihar, and Mizoram, but were recalled after just seven days.
When Chavan and the players attempted to reach Kamble and Upadhyay, both evaded them with excuses. Frustrated, they decided against participating in the Ranji Trophy and sought a refund of the Rs63 lakh they had paid. Despite Chavan’s persistent efforts, the money was never returned. Investigators later discovered that the remittance slips and selection letters were fraudulent.
Realizing they had been swindled, Chavan filed a complaint with the Malad police last week. Following their investigation, the police registered a case under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal breach of trust, cheating, and forgery.
A thorough investigation is underway, and the police plan to question the accused shortly. Authorities are also looking into whether Kamble and Upadhyay have perpetrated similar scams elsewhere.
