A 35-year-old Hyderabad businessman, Pritish Kollati, has filed a complaint with the Central Crime Station (CCS) of the Telangana Police, alleging that a US-based businessman, Deelip Mhaske, also known as Sam Mhaske, cheated him out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast rights by submitting forged documents.
Kollati, the managing director of Hyderabad-based media and event management company Metalloid Productions Private Ltd, claimed that Mhaske and others submitted forged financial documents, which derailed the company’s bid for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Mhaske allegedly claimed close associations with US President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The complaint led the Telangana Police to register a case of cheating, forgery, and use of forged documents under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to the complaint, Metalloid had submitted a winning bid of USD 70.57 million (approximately Rs 670 crore) to FIFA in September 2025 for the broadcasting rights of the World Cup in the Indian subcontinent with the help of the country’s national broadcaster.
However, after the national broadcaster withdrew from the proposed arrangement due to regulatory approvals and internal constraints, Metalloid began looking for investors to meet its financial obligations. It was during this period that Mhaske was introduced to Kollati, and he projected himself as a well-connected businessman with access to substantial funding.
Mhaske signed a non-circumvention agreement and a term sheet with Metalloid for a proposed USD 50 million investment to acquire the media rights. However, during FIFA’s due diligence process, the financial documents submitted by Mhaske were allegedly found to be fabricated or unverifiable, raising questions about the financial backing claimed by the investor.
As a result, Metalloid suffered financial losses of approximately Rs 2 crore, damage to its reputation, and jeopardized its position as the successful bidder for the FIFA World Cup media rights. The CCS Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chaitanya Kumar, said that Kollati estimates a loss of at least USD 800 million. A lookout circular will be issued against Mhaske, which will be the first process towards extradition.
Not much is known about Mhaske at this point, and the police are investigating the matter further.
