Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has been given a great sigh of relief from the Bombay High Court in relation to the long-time ongoing BCCI-World Sports Group India (WSGI)-Multi Screen Media (MSM, Sony) IPL broadcast rights case, due to which Modi had been ousted from the board a decade ago and has been residing in the UK since.
The Bombay High Court set aside an arbitral award in favour of the BCCI, calling it a “perverse award” and importantly for the former IPL chairman, the court declared that the Facilitation Fee, wich the BCCI claims it is entitled to, was not illegal, freeing Lalit Modi.
The man who planned and executed the IPL to incredible levels in the first three seasons, was banned by the BCCI for life: after the IPL 2011 auction when two new franchises were added, the BCCI suspended Lalit Modi on 22 charges, including bypassing the governing council while taking decisions, bid-rigging, selling franchises to his family and friends, accepting kickbacks on a broadcast deal, betting and money laundering. Modi fled away from India and has been in the UK for a long time. He feels that the then boss N Srinivasan was behind his ouster.
Now, given a reprieve by the high court, Lalit Modi claimed that the “truth has prevailed.”
“Time is a factor, I single-handedly built the IPL. Not that I care but the BCCI banned me for life. Guess what I made recession (economic slowdown of 2008) Modi proof. Mark my words it will be a global showpiece from India. It will be a big entertainment property globally. And I did it free of cost for my country to watch on TV.
“The sad part is the petty members, who live off my creation, are so scared of my shadow that they even refused entry to my children on a paid ticket. Only question now is what will media say – fugitive? Go ahead try. Now I will sue all in UK, then see the fun (sic),” Lalit Modi told Cricbuzz on Sunday (March 20).
The BCCI had claimed that fraud was committed on the Facilitation Fee and it is entitled to the Rs 425 crore. But, in contrast to the BCCI’s claims that only Modi was aware of it, the court said all parties had full knowledge of it.
“I fail to understand how the Majority Award has come to this finding. Firstly, how BCCI is entitled to Rs.425 crores is something that is not explained in the Majority Award,” Justice BP Colabawala said
