The Board of Control for Cricket in India has moved the Delhi High Court against restraining it from holding its Special General Meeting, according to the PTI. The Special General Meeting was to be held to "consider the disciplinary committee's report" on former Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi "for alleged financial irregularities in the cricket league." The BCCI contended that "the trial court has no jurisdiction to pass such an order as the SGM is scheduled to be held at the cricket body's headquarters in Chennai." The High Court "will also hear Modi's cross-appeal against the decision of the lower court which had declined to pass an interim order on his petition challenging the appointment of Sanjay Patel and Jagmohan Dalmiya" to the BCCI by BCCI President N. Srinivasan. Appearing for the BCCI before Justice Shali, senior advocate C.A. Sundaram said, "The Delhi court has no jurisdiction to pass such an order as the BCCI headquarters is in Mumbai and SGM was to be held in Chennai where Srinivansan resides" (PTI, 9/23). In Mumbai, Vijay Tagore wrote the BCCI "is confident of having the stay vacated in the next couple of days." The Modi camp obtained the stay, "successfully raising questions over the legality of the SGM." It has been argued that "the meeting was called by a secretary, who was not appointed by the general body." In a pure technical sense, Sanjay Patel "was appointed by the working committee." The BCCI bylaws, apparently, "mandate an office-bearer to have the vote of the general body." A lawyer from the Modi camp said, "They did not have respect for the bylaws of the board. There was no functional president and the secretary did not have the mandate" (MUMBAI MIRROR, 9/23). The PTI reported the Cricket Association of Bihar on Monday "approached the Supreme Court seeking to restrain" Srinivasan from contesting for the post of BCCI president at the Annual General Meeting of the Board on Sept. 29. CAB, in its interim application, also sought interim injunction against the BCCI "from inducting Srinivasan in any of its committees till the matter pending in the apex court is decided." CAB "is likely to plead before the apex court" Tuesday for early hearing of its application (PTI, 9/23).
CRICKET'S 'DOOMSDAY': The PTI also reported Modi was his usual outspoken self when he said it will be "doomsday" for Indian cricket if Srinivasan gets re-elected as BCCI president. Modi: "Across the globe, the fans, advertisers and administrators will be disappointed at this if Srinivasan gets re-elected. A wrong message would be sent. It will be a doomsday for Indian cricket" (PTI, 9/23). The PTI reported Sri Lanka Cricket on Monday denied reports that all-rounder Thisara Perera indulged in match-fixing during this year's IPL, saying that "it has full faith in its players." The SLC rebuttal "comes in the wake of a media report which stated that a Mumbai-based bookie fixed an IPL match" for Rs. 6 crore ($958,000) after striking deals with four players of Sunrisers Hyderabad (PTI, 9/23).
POLICE COLLABORATE: In Mumbai, Rahul Mahajani wrote "the friction between the Mumbai and Delhi police has been set aside for a change and the two forces are co-operating in the Twenty20 betting and spot-fixing cases as there are many common accused." The Mumbai crime branch "handed over evidence" related to banned fast bowler S. Sreesanth to the Delhi police on Saturday following a court order. Mumbai crime branch sources said that "since Sreesanth, who has been banned for life by the BCCI, is not an accused in their case, all articles seized from a hotel at the Bandra Kurla Complex where he allegedly stayed, including key CCTV footage, was handed over to the Delhi police" (HINDUSTAN TIMES, 9/23). PAKISTAN TODAY reported Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf "could be named as a wanted accused in the Mumbai Crime Branch's charge-sheet" of the IPL betting scam. A senior Crime Branch officer said that "deliberations about Rauf's status were under way and the chargesheet is expected to be filed by the end of the week." The officer said, "We will reach a decision on the matter soon" (PAKISTAN TODAY, 9/23).
