Probe ‘discrepancies’ in BCCI chief Manhas’ DOB: Jammu court to cops

A local court has ordered Jammu and Kashmir Police to probe charges against the president of Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI), Mithun Manhas, over alleged discrepancy in his date of birth certificate.

In the petition, Mehta had accused Manhas of having furnished his date of birth different from the date reflected in the school records. (HT Photo for representation)

Adjudicating a petition filed by former deputy SP and ex-former joint secretary of the J&K Cricket Association, Sudershan Mehta, the sub-judge/special railway magistrate, Jammu, Sandeep Singh Sen ordered station house office of the Nowabad police station to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the matter and submit his report before his court by or before September 3.

The petitioner had sought an FIR under section 175 (3) of BNS 2023 against the BCCI president for allegedly committing offence of fraud, cheating, forgery of date of birth under provisions of the BNS 2023.

According to the petitioner, the accused Manhas forged and fabricated his date of birth to gain advantage for playing at junior level cricket at national level and had shown two dates of birth to gain benefit for selection in national tournaments under sub junior and junior category in the game of cricket.

In the petition, Mehta had accused Manhas of having furnished his date of birth different from the date reflected in the school records.

“As per information received through email of Maharaja Hari Singh Agriculture Collegiate (MHAC) School Nagbani Jammu where Manhas studied, his date of birth was confirmed to be 09.12.1977 whereas the official website of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) revealed his date of birth as 12.10.1979,” the petitioner submitted before the court.

MHAC Nagbani had also responded that Manhas was a student of Presentation Convent Gandhi Nagar Jammu and later shifted to MHAC School Nagbani on 27.07.1988 in Class 6 vide admission number – 2236 and his date of birth as per school record was 09.12.1977.

The petitioner submitted that the accused recorded contradictory and inconsistent dates of birth obviously with the dishonest intent to gain benefit for participating in sub junior and junior cricket tournaments under the banner of J&K Cricket Association as well as under DDCA.

The complainant had also lodged a similar complaint with SP City North Jammu.

Mehta submitted that by making misrepresentation and false statements and fabricating record and date of birth as stated above, the said person had committed the offence under Sections 415, 420, 462 of IPC, now sections 318 (4), 321, 323 under BNS.

Accordingly, the judge observed that before lodging or registering any cognizable offence by the police, a preliminary inquiry has to be conducted by the magistrate.

“As such, SHO police station Nowabad, Jammu is directed to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the matter and submit its report before this court by or before September 3, 2026,” the judge remarked in his order.