Haldwani: Uttarakhand: Fake T20 Cricket League: A major case of financial fraud has come to light in Haldwani, where a fake T20 cricket league allegedly scheduled to be held at the International Cricket Stadium, Gaulapar, turned out to be a scam involving crores of rupees. Kathgodam Police have arrested the main accused, who posed as the organiser of the league. Two bank accounts linked to the financial transactions of the accused have also been frozen.
According to the police, on 5 February 2026, complainants Hemant Sharma, a resident of Indraprastha Colony, Jhajjar (Haryana), and Narayan Pal, a resident of Abivaka Vihar, Haldwani (Nainital district), lodged a complaint at Kathgodam police station. They alleged that the accused, identified as Vikas, cheated them of ₹23 lakh and ₹9 lakh respectively in the name of organising an international cricket league.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Kathgodam police station under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Taking the seriousness of the case into account, SSP Nainital Dr. Manjunath TC constituted a special police team and directed immediate action for the arrest of the accused.
Under the guidance of SP Haldwani Manoj Kumar Katyals, supervision of CO Haldwani Amit Kumar Saini, and leadership of SHO Kathgodam Vipin Mishra, the police team arrested the accused, Vikas Daka, from the Malla Kathgodam area on 6 February 2026.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused lured prospective team owners by falsely using the names of international and former Indian cricketers such as Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, and Manpreet Gony. Hemant Sharma was offered a team franchise allegedly worth ₹50 lakh at a discounted price of ₹30 lakh, out of which ₹23 lakh was collected by the accused.
Similarly, Narayan Pal was offered a franchise named “Uttarakhand Soldiers,” claiming a franchise value of ₹50 lakh, and a deal was finalised for ₹10 lakh. In the name of publicity and other arrangements, the accused collected a total of ₹9 lakh from him.
The tournament was scheduled to commence on 1 February 2026, but even after the scheduled date passed, no matches were organised and there was no confirmation regarding the participation of international players. Further investigation revealed that no bookings or preparations had been made at the proposed venue.
Police have stated that further investigation is ongoing to identify other possible victims and links related to the scam.
