Dnyaneshwar Agashe

Dnyaneshwar Agashe (17 April 1942 – 2 January 2009) was an Indian businessman, cricketer, cricket administrator and philanthropist.

Dnyaneshwar Agashe
Agashe in 2002
Vice president of BCCI
In office 1995–1999
Chairman of Maharashtra Cricket Association
In office 2003–2005
Preceded by	Balasaheb Thorve
Succeeded by	Ajay Shirke
Executive chairman of Maharashtra Cricket Association
In office 1989–2003
Managing Director of Suvarna Sahakari Bank
In office 1969–2009
Preceded by	Jagdish "Panditrao" Agashe
Succeeded by	Ashutosh Agashe
Managing Director of the Brihan Maharashtra Sugar Syndicate Ltd.
In office 1983–1996
Succeeded by	Ashutosh Agashe
Chairman of the Brihan Maharashtra Sugar Syndicate Ltd.
In office 1996–2009
Personal details
Born	(1942-04-17)17 April 1942 Pune, Bombay Presidency, British Raj
Died	2 January 2009(2009-01-02) (aged 66) Pune, Maharashtra, India
Spouse(s)	Rekha Agashe
Children	Mandar Agashe, Ashutosh Agashe, Sheetal Agashe
Parents	Chandrashekhar Agashe (father) and Indirabai Agashe (mother)
Residence	Pune, Maharashtra, India
Alma mater	Sir Parshurambhau College, Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce
Known for	Businessman, entrepreneur, cricketer, cricket administrator, philanthropist
Cricket information
Batting	Right-hand batsman
Bowling	Right-hand bowling
Role	Wicketkeeper, batsman
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1962/63-1967/68	Maharashtra
1963/64	Maharashtra Governor's XI
1964/65	Indian Universities
1965/66	Vazir Sultan Tobacco Colts XI
Career statistics
Competition FC Matches 13 Runs scored 341 Batting average 26.23 100s/50s 0/- Top score 75 Catches/stumpings 33/6
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 19 August 2016

A wicketkeeper-batsman, Agashe played first-class cricket for Maharashtra between 1962 and 1968. He was twice vice-president of Board of Control for Cricket in India, serving his second and final term from 1995 to 1999. He was chairman and managing director of the Brihan Maharashtra Sugar Syndicate, chairman of Kolhapur Steel and founded the Suvarna Sahakari Bank in 1969.

Agashe and his family came into public scandal with the Suvarna Sahakari Bank scam case in 2008. While in judicial custody during the scandal, Agashe died of a heart attack from complications of diabetes, in 2009.

Early life

Agashe was born on 17 April 1942, into an entrepreneurial Chitpavan brahmin family of industrialist Chandrashekhar Agashe and wife Indirabai Agashe (née Dwarka Gokhale).[1][2][3][4] Agashe's father founded the Brihan Maharashtra Sugar Syndicate in 1934.[5] Agashe married Rekha Gogte.[6] They had two sons, Mandar Agashe and Ashutosh Agashe, and a daughter, Sheetal Agashe.[5][7] Some of Agashe's prominent relations include Kokuyo Camlin head Dilip Dandekar,[8] musician Ashutosh Phatak,[5] and Third Anglo-Maratha War general Bapu Gokhale.[3][4]

Agashe was educated at Raman Baug High School, and graduated with a BA degree from Sir Parshurambhau College. He further graduated with a BCom degree from Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce. Agashe began competitively playing cricket in school, touring Sri Lanka. He was a wicketkeeper and middle order batsman when he went on to play the Ranji Trophy from 1967 to 1973, representing his home state of Maharashtra.[2]

Business career

Beginning in 1969, Agashe founded the Suvarna Sahakari Bank for the banking purposes of mainly middle-class families.[9] In 1983, he took office as managing director after his older brother in his father's company.[10] He served as chairman to Kolhapur Steel and was director to many other start-ups. He diversified his business into liquor (with Howling Wolves), pharmaceuticals, power generation, publication (with Mandar Printing Press), and real estate. He started a unit in Canada for Taj Rum.[2]

Agashe joined the Maharashtra Cricket Association in 1969 and was elected its executive chairman in 1989.[2][11] During his tenure as chairman of the association, he was twice elected as the vice-president and once as the treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, being elected for his second term as VP in 1995.[2] He had also contested for the post of BCCI's president, but lost by two votes. He was also the vice-chairman of the finance committee of the Pakistan-India-Lanka Joint Management Committee (Pilcom), which had organised the 1996 World Cup.[12] He served his record seventh term as executive chairman, being elected in April, 2003.[13] Agashe was also a voting member of the Mumbai Cricket Association.[14] He was also the vice-president of the National Cricket Academy.[15]

Agashe with John Major and Sanjay Dalmia.

In 2004, Agashe was unanimously elected the president of the Poona Youth Club.[16] He served as president through the club's liquor controversy.[17] And in 2006, Agashe resigned the presidency,[18] after his third year as president of the club.[19][20]

Chairman of the Maharashtra Cricket Association

In 2004, the nine member interim committee was dissolved, and Agashe was elected to the office of the chairman of the Maharashtra Cricket Association.[21] Later that same year, Agashe was denied participation in the annual general meeting of the BCCI due to alleged factional disputes by then BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya.[22] He was later denied his right to vote in the Board's elections that year which saw Sharad Pawar losing by one vote to the post of the BCCI's president.[23] Some sources at the time claimed Agashe's actions (delay to vote) may have been deliberate.[24] Agashe moved court countermanding the elections, alleging that the absence of his vote ensured an unfair victory to Dalmiya nominee Ranbir Singh Mahendra.[25][26][27] The Madras High Court stated a prima facie case against the elections,[28] with Agashe expressing satisfaction with the court's decision.[29]

In 2005, the MCA was gripped in a power struggle between Agashe and Ajay Shirke.[30] That year's MCA election was in sight of reformed regulation scheme recommendations between the two parties,[31] which was won by Shirke.[32] Agashe had served a record seventh term at the time of his ousting from the position.[33] Critics claimed that the court cases between the two parties were responsible for a lack luster cricketing season in Pune that year.[34]

Suvarna Sahakari Bank case

Main article: Suvarna Sahakari Bank

By 2006, the bank business started having financial troubles, with some sources alleging that the bank's failure was backlash for the controversial BCCI presidency elections of 2004.[14] In September of that same year, the cooperative bank was put under moratorium by the Reserve Bank of India.[35]

In 2007, following the order of moratorium, many of the bank's depositors held demonstrations at Agashe's Aundh residence and threatened criminal actions against the Agashe family,[36] after which a speedy merger was promised by Agashe,[37] when Cosmos Bank planned to acquire the bank.[38]

In 2008, Agashe mortgaged personal property worth Rs. 200 crore in lieu of the recovery of the deposits worth Rs. 725 crore.[39] Hotel Ranjeet, a hotel owned by Agashe was auctioned off for the same reasons.[40] On 22 November that year, Agashe along with 14 other board members was taken into judicial custody;[41][42] the bank business was charged with a Rs. 436.74 crore scam allegation.[43] The arresting police stated that Agashe along with six others allegedly misused their rights and sanctioned loans mostly to firms owned by themselves and then defaulted the loans, thereby duping the depositors.[44] The judicial magistrate remanded Agashe and the 14 other suspects to police custody, with provisions of medical assistance if required, citing the senior citizenship of a majority of the accused.[45]

The economics offenses wing of the crime branch conducted a raid of Agashe's Aundh residence to recover Rs. 1.5 lakhs. The prosecution stated that upon discovery of the money, further interrogation of the accused was necessary and alleged that the accused had disbursed loans to people close to them by flouting RBI rules. In return, Agashe's defense counsel claimed that Agashe and his family had sold off various properties for the repayment of the loan. The defense counsel also stated that the Agashe family had extended full cooperation with the police and submitted that the family would repay another Rs. 80 crore after the issue of Suvarna's merger was settled. The defense also raised the issue of foul play, when the first information reporting of the allegations was not produced before the court three days after registering the case and further contended that the loans had been sanctioned by the bank's disbursement committee, a committee Agashe was not a member of.[46] The bail applications filed at the time for Agashe, his wife, and his sister were subsequently rejected.[47][48][49]

While in custody, Agashe's health deteriorated and he was admitted to Sassoon Hospital on 22 December, suffering from severe diabetes and gangrene,[50] for which he had previously been denied medical assistance.[24] He later died of a heart attack from complications of diabetes at Sassoon Hospital on 2 January 2009.[51][52]

Cricket career

Agashe and Sunil Gavaskar.

As a wicketkeeper-batsman, Agashe played first-class cricket for Maharashtra between 1962 and 1968 and scored two half-centuries in 13 matches. He played his best season in 1964–65 where he made his career-best 75, took ten catches and made two stumpings.[53]

He then went on to serve as vice president of the Board for Control of Cricket in India and executive chairman of the Maharashtra Cricket Association.[54] He also served as vice chairman of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.[55]

First class cricket matches played by Agashe[56]

Date	Tournament	Zone	Match	Stadium	Code
15 December 1962	Ranji Trophy 1962/63	West Zone	Maharashtra v Bombay	Club of Maharashtra, Poona	f24585
20 October 1963	Ranji Trophy 1963/64	West Zone	Bombay v Maharashtra	Brabourne Stadium, Bombay	f25002
26 October 1963	Defence Fund Match 1963/64	-	Gujarat Governor's XI v Maharashtra Governor's XI	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad	f25005
5 December 1963	Ranji Trophy 1963/64	West Zone	Maharashtra v Saurashtra	Club of Maharashtra, Poona	f25056
31 October 1964	Ranji Trophy 1964/65	West Zone	Maharashtra v Gujarat	Club of Maharashtra, Poona	f25515
14 November 1964	Ranji Trophy 1964/65	West Zone	Baroda v Maharashtra	Moti Bagh Stadium, Baroda	f25528
5 December 1964	Ceylon in India 1964/65	-	Indian Universities v Ceylon	Nehru Stadium, Madras	f25564
5 October 1965	Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament 1965/66	Quarter-final	Hyderabad Cricket Association XI v Vazir Sultan Tobacco Colts XI	Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad	f26014
13 November 1965	Ranji Trophy 1965/66	West Zone	Bombay v Maharashtra	Brabourne Stadium, Bombay	f26028
20 November 1965	Ranji Trophy 1965/66	West Zone	Maharashtra v Baroda	Karad Engineering College Ground, Karad	f26032
30 September 1967	Ranji Trophy 1967/68	West Zone	Gujarat v Maharashtra	Shastri Maidan, Anand	f26990
11 November 1967	Ranji Trophy 1967/68	West Zone	Maharashtra v Baroda	MR College Stadium, Walchandnagar	f27008
24 November 1967	Ranji Trophy 1967/68	West Zone	Maharashtra v Saurashtra	Nehru Stadium, Poona	f27027

Philanthropy

Agashe was instrumental in starting some educational institutes, donating to the Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce and was instrumental in founding of the Chandrashekhar Agashe College of Physical Education and Panditrao Agashe School in Pune. He also founded the Chandrashekhar Agashe High School, Chandrashekhar Agashe Junior College and Indirabai Agashe High School on the family's estate in the town of Shripur.[2]

Agashe also donated his family collection of ancient Indian musical instruments to the Chandrashekhar Agashe Museum, a part of the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum of Pune in honour of his father.[2][57][58] Agashe further provided financial assistance to Société géologique de France for their research in 1994.[59]

Legacy

Agashe died on 2 January 2009 at Sassoon Hospital in Pune, at the age of 67.[60] He died in the ICU from a heart attack while being treated for diabetic complications.[61] A condolence meet following Agashe's death was held at the Poona Youth Club.[62]

In 2015, Agashe's son, Ashutosh Agashe conceived the Dnyaneshwar Agashe Trophy as the highest award of merit at the Poona Youth Club's annual cricket tournament, the PYC Premier League, in honor of his father.[63][64]

References

1. "Businessmen". kokanastha.com.
2. Kelkar, Siddhart (2009). "Friends recall royal Agashe, despite taint". Indian Express. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
3. Team. "Singers -kokanastha.com". www.kokanastha.com. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
4. Pathak, Gangadhar (1978). Gokhale kulavr̥ttānta (in Marathi) (2nd ed.). Pune: Gokhale Kulavr̥ttānta Kāryakārī Maṇdaḷa. p. 1286. LCCN 81902590.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
5. Ranade, Sadashiv (1974). Agashe Kula-vr̥ttānta (in Marathi). p. 375. LCCN 74903020. OCLC 20388396.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
6. Kamath, M. V.; Gogaṭe, Bāḷakr̥shṇa Mahādeva (1 January 1991). The Makings of a Millionaire: A Tribute to a Living Legend, Raosaheb B.M. Gogte, Industrialist, Philanthropist & Educationist. Jaico Publishing House – via Google Books. The eldest daughter Rekha is married to Dnyaneshwar Agashe, Managing Director of Brihan Maharashtra Sugar Syndicate, Pune and an active cricket administrator, being the Vice President of the Cricket Control Board of India.
7. Hindi Cinema Year Book. Screen World Publication. 1 January 2005. Sheetal Agashe,
8. Gogaṭe Kulavr̥ttānta (in Marathi) (2006 ed.). Mumbai: Gogaṭe Kulamaṇḍala. p. 532. LCCN 2012338796.
9. "Dnyaneshwar Agashe cremated - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
10. Kothari's Economic and Industrial Guide of India. Kothari. 1 January 1978 – via Google Books. Directors : Shankar Laxraan Limaye (Chairman), Dnyaneshwar Chandrashekhar Agashe, Gajanan Hari Sabnis, Vinayak Krishna Sathe Jagadish Chandrashekhar Agashe, Govind Narhar Joshi, Ramrao Madhavrao Deshmukh
11. "The man who followed the book". Mid Day. Retrieved 14 February 2017. Mr Dnyaneshwar Agashe being the president of the association
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14. Anandan, Sujata (2010). "Its Tharoor's cricket versus Pawar's". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
15. "Gavaskar issue 'not on agenda'". The Tribune. 3 January 2001. Retrieved 17 December 2017. NCA vice-chairman Dnyaneshwar Agashe
16. "PYC elections put off". Times of India. 16 September 2006.
17. "PYC banned from serving liquor". Times of India. 5 August 2006.
18. "Agashe quits as president of PYC Gym". Times of India. 6 September 2006.
19. Karmarkar, Amit (22 November 2006). "Fall of wicket: Agashe's giant on the verge of oblivion". Times of India.
20. "Vaidya pips Agashe for post of president in PYC elections". Times of India. 21 November 2006.
21. "Agashe and team reinstated on MCA". Times of India. 1 January 2004.
22. "Agashe, Modi to move court". Times of India. 1 October 2004.
23. "Agashe irked by vote denial". Times of India. 2 October 2004.
24. Khanna, Ruchika (27 April 2010). "INDIAN POLITICIANS' LEAGUE: The gentlemen's game". The Tribune. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
25. "District court delivers a jolt to Agashe". Times of India. 31 October 2004.
26. "Agashe consulting lawyers to file writ petition | Zee News". Zee News. 1 October 2004. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
27. "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Sport". Tribune India. Retrieved 14 February 2017. MCA chief Agashe moves court
28. "Madras HC 'stumps' BCCI". Times of India. 9 October 2004.
29. "Agashe happy with court order". Times of India. 9 October 2004.
30. "Thorve squares up against MCA". Times of India. 28 March 2006.
31. "Election fever grips MCA". Times of India. 23 March 2005.
32. "Shirke group reigns over MCA". Times of India. 12 April 2005.
33. "Shirke wins cricket marathon". Times of India. 2 November 2004.
34. "STATE OF THE SPORT: No shine, no turn in Pune's cricket". Times of India. 29 September 2005.
35. Nambiar, Nisha (2009). "Agashe dead; depositors now pin hopes on IOB". Indian Express. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
36. "Suvarna protestors halt traffic". Times of India. 11 February 2008.
37. "Arrests will not solve problems: Depositors". Times of India. 23 November 2008.
38. "Suvarna may merge with Cosmos Co-operative". Business Standard. 12 September 2006.
39. "Suvarna to pay interest on deposits from Jan". Times of India. 19 May 2008.
40. "City hotel auctioned to recover dues". Times of India. 21 June 2007.
41. "Fugitive run ends for economic fraud and dreaded gangster". Indian Express. 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
42. "Dnyaneshwar Agashe cremated". Times of India. 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
43. "Agashe, others sent to judicial custody". Times of India. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
44. "Pune coop bank in Rs 436-cr scam". Business Standard. 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
45. "Suvarna co-op bank case: 15 arrested". Times of India. 23 November 2008.
46. "Agashe, others sent to judicial custody". Times of India. 25 November 2008.
47. "Suvarna case: Court defers order on bail". Times of India. 26 November 2008.
48. "Court rejects bail plea in Survarna case". Times of India. 30 November 2008.
49. "Cooperative bank fraud lands 21 in soup, 15 arrested". Indian Express. 23 November 2008.
50. "Son attends funeral under police eye". Indian Express. 4 January 2009.
51. "Former MCA chief Agashe dies". Web India 123. 3 January 2009.
52. "Deadend!". Pune Mirror. 4 January 2009.
53. Oracle, CricketArchives. "Cricket Archives". cricketarchives.com. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
54. Staff, Cricinfo (2009). "ESPN Cricinfo". ESPN. Retrieved 19 August 2016. A wicketkeeper-batsman, Dayaneshwar Agashe played first-class cricket for Maharashtra
55. "FOCUS NOW ON DOMESTIC CIRCUIT". New Delhi: The Telegraph India. 19 May 2017. It was also announced that Dnyaneshwar Agashe of Maharashtra will be appointed vice-chairman of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.
56. Oracle, CricketArchives. ""First class cricket matches played by Agashe"". Retrieved 19 August 2016.
57. "Kelkar Museum". Rajakelkarmuseum.com. 12 May 2003. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
58. "Chandrashekhar Agashe museum- Section of Raja Dinkar Kelkar museum". Tourism Places. 2014. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017. This whole collection was donated by his son Dnyaneshwar Agashe.
59. France, Société géologique de (1 January 1994). Mémoires de la Société géologique de France (in French) – via Google Books. financial sistance from Sri Dnyaneshwar Agashe
60. "Ex-director of Suvarna bank dies". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
61. "Industrialist, ex-BCCI vice-president Agashe dies". DNA India. 3 January 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
62. "Condolence meeting for Dnyaneshwar Agashe today". Times of India. 5 January 2009.
63. ":: PYC GYMKHANA ::". www.pycgymkhana.com. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
64. "Tigerschi vijaypdachi darkaali". epaperlokmat.in (in Marathi). Pune: Lokmat. 14 November 2017. 11. Retrieved 14 November 2017.

External links

• Dnyaneshwar Agashe at ESPNcricinfo