CAB election forgery: Kolkata Police file FIR against two DTDC employees
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police have registered an FIR against two employees of courier company DTDC over alleged forgery and document manipulation linked to the upcoming Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) elections, scheduled around the Annual General Meeting on 24 September. The case, lodged at Maidan Police Station, follows a complaint alleging that the courier firm — in collusion with a section of CAB officials — tampered with the dispatch of election-related documents to affiliated clubs.
Who Has Been Named
The FIR names Arghya Das, channel management executive at DTDC, and Shubham Bakshi, manager of the company's Taratala-Gopalpur branch, as the primary accused. The complaint was filed by Gautam Dey, a member of the Calcutta University Institute, after a preliminary inquiry at Maidan Police Station. Investigators also visited the CAB office in Kolkata as part of the probe.
What the FIR Alleges
According to police sources, the accused allegedly generated fake consignment numbers and passed them off as genuine when dispatching election documents. Those consignment numbers reportedly had no traceable history on DTDC's own tracking portal. The accused are also alleged to have sent couriers in violation of prescribed procedures, and to have acted with the intent of giving certain candidates an unfair advantage in the election process.
The documents in question relate to the election of the Secretary, Joint Secretary, and Apex Council members of the CAB — key positions to be decided at the AGM. The complaint additionally alleges that a section of CAB officials was complicit in the alleged forgery, broadening the scope of the investigation beyond the courier firm.
Charges Invoked
Police have booked the accused under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of forgery of valuable documents, forgery with intent to cheat, use of forged documents as genuine, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and criminal conspiracy. According to police sources, most of the offences are non-bailable in nature.
The Ganguly Connection
The development carries added significance given that Sourav Ganguly — the CAB President and former Indian cricket team captain — is the brand ambassador of DTDC. While Ganguly has not been named in the FIR, his dual role as head of the CAB and public face of the courier company involved has drawn attention to the case. It is not yet clear whether investigators intend to question CAB leadership directly.
What Happens Next
With the CAB AGM set for 24 September 2026, the investigation's timeline is tight. A Kolkata Police team has already visited the CAB office for preliminary fact-finding, and further arrests or summons cannot be ruled out as the probe advances. The case has cast a shadow over the credibility of the election process at one of Indian cricket's most influential state associations.