Subramanian Swamy challenges ban on CSK, Rajasthan Royals in Madras HC

Petition alleges Lalit Modi financed the litigation that ultimately led to the suspension of the teams

Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking quashing of Justice R M Lodha Committee order suspending Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in "public interest".

The bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam posted the matter for September 23, along with the petition of CSK which had earlier petitioned the court to quash the Justice R M Lodha Committee order.

In his petition, Swamy alleged that the entire proceedings before the Bombay High Court, the Supreme Court, the Justice Mudgal Committee and the Justice R M Lodha Committee were completely vitiated on account of the motivated and vested litigation by Cricket Association of Bihar with "unclean hands". Swamy goes on to argue suspension of the two star cricket teams should be set aside.

The Justice R M Lodha Committee, appointed on instructions of the Supreme Court, on July 14, 2015, has suspended the two teams for two years from IPL along with other orders.

The petition, referring to various press reports, alleged that Lalit Modi, who was associated with IPL earlier, has financed the litigation by secretary of Cricket Association of Bihar against former BCCI president N Srinivasan and others and has influenced the course of events, which has raised concerns regarding the legitimacy of the proceedings before the courts.

In the petition against Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Association of Bihar and chairman of IPL Rajeev Shukla, Swamy alleges that there are e-mail communications between various people that "show the entire proceedings, beginning from a PIL before the Bombay High Court which culminated in the suspension of CSK and Rajasthan Royals, was targeted and is tainted by unclean hands, and were proxy litigation at the behest of vested interest."

It added that the the email communications were made available to Swamy by parties who are privy to the same, and he seeks the direction of the court to file them in a sealed envelope or in a redacted form if the Court directs.

He also submitted that he apprehends that Justice Mudgal Committee was deluged with false material supplied by known associates of Lalit Modi with the ulterior and malicious motive of removing two star cricket teams from the IPL.

It also alleged that a former President of the BCCI allowed Lalit Modi to manage his blog and and the same person was made to implead himself in the Supreme Court with financial support of Modi.

In the Court, Swamy argued that he is strictly acting in the interest of the public. Speaking to reporters later, he said that CSK is a pride of Tamil Nadu and India and a top class team, which N Srinivasan has built up since 2008.

"There is no charge against them. Neither any charge has been made nor any charge was found," he said. "Why should the team be held responsible?", he asked.