Virat Kohli captained him in India Test Debut, Player sees Father jailed for 7 years for Bank Embezzlement of Rs 1.25 crore

In a shocking revelation, a former India cricketer's father has been sentenced to jail with embezzlement charges against him on Tuesday (December 24).

Vinay Ojha, father of former Indian cricketer Naman Ojha, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in an embezzlement case at the Bank of Maharashtra branch in Betul, Madhya Pradesh.

Virat Kohli captained him for his first India Test Player sees Father jailed for 7 years for Bank Embezzlement of Rs 1 25 crore

The case, dating back to 2013, involved the misappropriation of ₹1.25 crore. Vinay, who served as the branch manager, was also fined ₹7 lakh. Vinay, along with the mastermind Abhishek Ratnam, colluded to embezzle the bank by creating fake accounts.

The Multai Additional Sessions Court delivered the verdict on Tuesday, sentencing four individuals, including Vinay. The case originally involved six accused, but one, Dinanath Rathore, passed away, and a trainee at that time named Nilesh Chatrole was acquitted.

The mastermind, Abhishek Ratnam, received a 10-year prison term and a ₹10 lakh fine. "Abhishek Ratnam and Vinay Ojha, through agents, opened fake accounts and embezzled ₹1.25 crore," said advocate Vishal Kodale to Times of India.

The other two brokers, Dhanraj Pawar and Lakhan Hingwe, were each sentenced to seven years in prison and fined ₹7 lakh.

"During the investigation, it was found that the embezzlement was carried out using the passwords of bank officials," public prosecutor Rajesh Sable stated.

Naman Ojha, who made his international debut for India in ODIs in 2010 alongside Ravichandran Ashwin, has yet to comment on the case. The 41-year-old cricketer played 1 Test, 1 ODI and 2 T20Is for India and has played 113 matches in the IPL.

Naman's solitary Test appearance came under the captaincy of Virat Kohli in 2015. In the 3rd Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, Naman played his first match and scored 56 runs across two innings. India also went on to win the match by 117 runs and clinched the series 2-1.