Modi says he wanted to name 'benami' bidders

Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi today claimed that he disclosed the names of the Kochi franchise shareholders because he wanted the ‘benami’ owners to come out in the open.

“People wanted to know about the Kochi owners. We never had any problems in the last three years (with other teams)...(but) when I called the owners of Kochi even they did not know who they were,” said Modi in an interview to a TV channel.

Refuting allegations that he had asked the Kochi consortium partners to give up on their claim to the franchise, he said, “They had bid for Kochi and they won it. As and when the stadium will be ready they will be able to hold the matches there.”

Modi also rubbished claims that he had pressurised the Kochi franchise to move to Ahmedabad. “It was they who wanted to move to Ahmedabad, but we told them there was no question as they had won for Kochi,” Modi said in an interview to CNN-IBN.

Pointing to Shashi Tharoor, whose allegations have landed him in a soup, Modi said, “One person has made allegations and this is not going to turn the world upside down. My job is to be upfront... and one man who has come new in this game wants to protect their (owners of Kochi franchise) identity by hook or by crook”.

Regarding the Income Tax department’s move to scrutinise records of the IPL, Modi said the department wanted to know about the agreements with the team owners. “What the I-T department wanted to know, we have given them.”

Visibly agitated on being asked about Sunanda Pushkar, Modi refrained from commenting and said,”What has happened is unfortunate and this mud slinging should stop.”