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| IPL council launches operation clean-up |
| BS Reporters / New Delhi/Mumbai Apr 27, 2010, 00:23 IST |
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After days of turbulence, some calm seems to have returned to Indian cricket. The Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council today named not only an interim chairman and commissioner for the league, but also launched an extensive fumigation process to remove the stink from IPL.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chairman Shashank Manohar named Chirayu Amin, former president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and a BCCI governing council member, to replace Lalit Modi as chairman and commissioner of IPL. An interim committee, comprising veteran cricketers MAK Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, was also named to run the affairs of the T20 league and the modalities of IPL’s season 4.
Although Manohar said it was a unanimous decision by the 13-member board, top BCCI sources told Business Standard that Punjab Cricket Association and BCCI governing council member I S Bindra attempted to bat for Modi, seeking time for him to give his side of the story. But Bindra, an old Modi supporter and mentor, was shouted down by other members of the council.
Amin was appointed after Manohar was offered the post. He turned it down because he said he did not understand the intricacies of finance that Amin, a businessman, would be in a better position to comprehend.
Manohar also announced a probe into Lalit Modi’s handling of IPL, based on 22 charges ranging from financial irregularities to rigging bids, proxy holdings and kickbacks in broadcast deal.
The terms of the BCCI enquiries cover the irregularities in the initial bids of Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab; the broadcasting deal; bid rigging in 2010; the manner in which internet rights of IPL were granted; and Modi’s ‘behavioural patterns’.
But what is curious are the questions BCCI has chosen to ignore and overlook.
BCCI sources said the board had preferred to not investigate the charge of misappropriation of funds against Modi; the issue of encouraging collusive bidding; and manipulation of the Rajasthan Board of Infrastructure Development and Investment to conclude land deals in Rajasthan during the chief ministership of Vasundhara Raje. The board has also opted to go slow on various contracts sealed by Modi.
“If this is all tracked together, it could open a pandora’s box. Thus a chargesheet has been filed against Modi on five points, to begin with,” Manohar said.
“The board will hold an enquiry if necessary, after receiving a reply from Modi. If Modi’s reply convinces members, proceedings will be dropped,” said Manohar.
According to Manohar, many important documents were missing from IPL and BCCI offices. BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty was tasked with listing documents that were reportedly missing.
“The Income Tax department is asking for documents every day and we don’t have them,” Manohar said.
“We are asking Modi how he could sign an agreement with A when the bid came from B. Modi made a statement that the entire world knows who the shareholders are. But the fact is even the governing council members don’t know who the shareholders of Rajasthan Royals are. I did not find the names of Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra in the papers; and they claim to be stakeholders,” the BCCI chief said.
A governing council member told Business Standard that IPL records show Emerging Media and Cookie Investments, companies based in Mauritius. “Perhaps she is Cookie Investments,” he said referring to Shilpa Shetty.
Manohar also said he had no idea of benami funds in Rajasthan Royals as there were no documents.
“If the funds come from, say Virgin Island or Mauritius, I don’t have the documents to probe this. In fact, I got to know of all this only after getting income tax notices,” he added.
Manohar denied that there was any political pressure in the bidding process. This is important in the context of reports that some Union ministers attempted to influence the bidding.
Meanwhile, Modi got support from unexpected quarters. The Samajwadi Party said he had been made a scapegoat by the United Progressive Alliance, which is led by the Congress party and has Nationalist Congress Party as one of its major constituents. “His suspension seems to have been aimed at shielding people with vested interests within the ruling coalition,” SP general secretary Mohan Singh told reporters in Allahabad.
Going forward, a new chairman would be nominated by the BCCI in two months. A new CEO and a professional team of managers would be put in place and this team would report to the chairman of IPL.
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