HC dismisses plea for CBI probe against Tharoor

The Delhi High Court today refused to entertain a plea seeking a CBI probe into former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor's alleged proxy stake in the Kochi IPL franchisee.

A bench headed by acting Chief Justice Madan B Lokur dismissed a petition filed by an advocate, saying there is no merit in the case.

The petitioner, Ajay Agarawal, contended that the former Minister of State for External Affairs, who quit his post yesterday in wake of the controversy, had used his official position to help get sweat equity pegged around Rs 70 crore for Sunanda Pushkar whom Tharoor has reportedly decided to marry.

   
IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi had recently disclosed the names of the free equity holders, including Pushkar, in the Rendezvous Sports World (RSW) which shelled out approximately Rs 1533 crore to bag the Kochi franchisee.
   
Tharoor has denied having a stake in the franchise, saying that he merely played a facilitator's role.
        
The lawyer had earlier approached the Supreme Court but withdrew the petition and moved the High Court.
   
"There is reasonable apprehension that hawala and black money have also played big role in this Kochi IPL case," the lawyer had alleged in his petition.