Modi’s show-cause replies ‘not acceptable’

– Srinivasan

N. Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, has rejected the replies filed by Lalit Modi, the suspended IPL chairman, to the three show-cause notices, terming them as “not acceptable”.

In a six-page letter to the members of the board, a copy of which is with Cricinfo, Srinivasan rebutted Modi’s responses to the various charges, saying they merited further investigation and would be sent to the board’s disciplinary committee.

Srinivasan said he had passed his findings to the members of the general body for ratification at the Special General Meeting, (SGM) scheduled for July 3, when a decision on Modi’s future will be taken.

“Since Mr Lalit Modi had accused me of being biased against him, after a thorough and careful reading of his explanation against the charges, I have passed an order that it was not acceptable,” Srinivasan told the Press Trust of India (PTI).

“So, as advised by BCCI president Shashank Manohar, my order has been referred to the members of the general body to ratify my decision on the SGM called on July 3.

“It is left to them to ratify my order after which the matter will be referred to the disciplinary committee. The show-cause notices, his reply to them and my order have been dispatched to all the members and a decision will be taken at the meeting.”

In the letter dispatched on June 19, Srinivasan issued a point-by-point rebuttal of Modi’s responses to the three show-causes slapped by the BCCI on April 26, May 6 and May 31.

The first notice dealt with the five main charges: the bids for Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, the broadcasting deal and reported facilitation fee, rigging of bids for new franchises in 2010, the sale of internet rights, and Modi’s behaviour patterns.

After asking for a week’s extension to the original deadline, Modi responded with a voluminous reply running into 15000-odd pages. (Cricinfo)