Visaka Industry to sue Arshad Ayub

Hyderabad: Stung by ‘malicious and defamatory remarks’ made by Arshad Ayub, President of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), Visaka Industry is to file a criminal case against the former Indian spinner.

Launching a scathing attack against Ayub for blaming Visaka and blacklisting it, Director of Visaka Industry G Vamsi Krishna said at a press conference here on Tuesday that ‘Ayub is misguiding the public by maligning our image despite our generosity that bailed out HCA from many a trouble’.

Countering the charges levelled against them by the HCA a couple of days back, Krishna gave a point to point clarification while reiterating that it was at the behest of N Shivlal Yadav that Visaka Industry came forward and responded favourably to the sponsorship pleas.

Ayub, incidentally, was signatory to the ‘Visaka’ naming proposal, a decision taken by the general body in a June 2004 Annual General Meeting. He said that contrary to the canards spread by the incumbent body of the Association, ‘we are not taking any undue advantage of HCA, as it is other way round.

He is making false, frivolous and mischievous allegation against the company in a01 public domain,” he said “In 2004 when HCA failed to get any sponsors for the construction of the stadium, we entered the picture. We not only took care of the fund-requirements but also solved the land issue that they were confronted with. G Vinod as president has never extended any favours to Visaka,” he said.

Pointing at another specific charge, Krishna said that although Ayub is contending that Visaka’s rights under agreement were applicable only to ODIs and Test matches, the City Civil Court held that the rights under the agreement were applicable to all formats, including IPL. This was upheld by the High Court and subsequently by the Supreme Court of India. He said that they were willing to talk it out with HCA with regard to settlement and modes of repayment.