The Indian cricket board is set to slap life ban on its former IPL chairman Lalit Modi as the Delhi High Court has given go ahead for BCCI’s special general meeting scheduled to be held in the city on Wednesday. Modi, who was at the helm of cash-rich league from 2008 to 2010, is facing charges of financial irregularities.
A disciplinary committee comprising Arun Jaitley, Chirayu Amin and Jyotiraditya Scindia prepared a 134-page report and has already submitted it to the BCCI. The SGM is likely to be chaired by president in-exile N. Srinivasan and will discuss the report. The quantum of the punishment is likely to be a life ban for which the BCCI requires two-third majority. It effectively means that a minimum of 21 votes are required out of the total 31 to make the former IPL czar a persona non-grata in the world’s richest cricket board.
“Save Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), expect no other BCCI units to support Modi. Even PCA’s case will depend on who attends the SGM — persident I S Bindra who is a Modi backer or secretary M P Pandove who is not known to possess a hardline stance,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying.
While Modi got a stay order from Patiala House Court on Saturday, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday gave a verdict in favour of the BCCI.
According to the BCCI’s lawyer, CA Sundaram, the High Court concluded that the board’s notice to Modi was issued correctly and the trial court should never have passed the stay order.
“The judge said Mr Srinivsasn continues to be the president. He is vested with the powers of the president even if Mr Dalmiya may be doing the day-to-day activities. The notice was correctly issued and the trial court could not have given an ex parte injunction against a special general meeting. Such an order ought not have been passed at all by the trial court,” Sundaram said.
Modi’s lawyers are likely to appeal to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, but it could prove too late.