da apostebet： Lalit Modi, the suspended IPL chairman, has filed his reply to the BCCI’s show-cause notice in typically dramatic fashion
da bwin： Nagraj Gollapudi15-May-2010Lalit Modi, the suspended IPL chairman, has filed his reply to theBCCI’s show-cause notice in typically dramatic fashion – the reply andsupporting evidence run into approximately 15,000 pages and were wheeled into the BCCI headquarters in six large cardboard cartons. His lawyerMehmood Abdi, who oversaw the delivery in Modi’s absence, soundedbullish during an impromptu press conference in Mumbai, saying he believed the response would satisfy the board andget his client reinstated.None of the principals involved – Modi, the BCCIpresident Shashank Manohar and secretary N Srinivasan – were presentat Saturday’s handover. The documents were received by RatnakarShetty, the BCCI’s chief administrative officer.Modi is in Monaco for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, from where he wrote on his Twitter page that he would speak in public after giving the BCCI time to go through his reply. “All I have to say for the moment is I have replied in complete detail to all charges even though there were no complaints, but as if there were,” he wrote.Modi was earlier expected to submit his reply on May 11, but hadrequested the board for a five-day extension, asking for moredocuments to prepare his defence. But for the restless media thewait continued into the early evening today as Modi’s counsel,expected to arrive in the second half, only did so at 6 pm.After spending nearly an hour making the submission, a smiling Abdiwalked out with a victory sign, proudly holding the reply document.The BCCI show-cause comprised 35 pages but Modi’s reply ran along 160pages; about 15,000 pages of additional evidence was neatlypacked into two separate boxes, marked separately for the perusal ofManohar and Srinivasan.Abdi said his triumphal gesture was just an indication of theconfidence he had in Modi’s defence and the possibility of quick justice despite anexhaustive reply document which one smart reporterpointed out equalled the defence of the convictedterrorist in the Mumbai attacks, Ajmal Kasab. “I showed the sign because the BCCI president is an eminent lawyer and he shouldn’t take more than four hours to windit up,” Abdi said.”The documents we have filed today are voluminous but the BCCIpresident is an eminent lawyer, he is in the habit of readingthousands of pages in minutes, so we hope for an early decision,” Abdisaid. “This is in simple prose and is a direct defence of Mr Modi. Iam confident the president would be satisfied 100 percent, 1000percent and he would be re-instated forthwith. Modi should bereinstated as IPL chairman and BCCI vice-president.”Incidentally, Abdi contested the basic premise the BCCI used forsuspending Modi. The board had suspended Modi under Clause 32 (iv) ofthe Memorandum and the Rules and Regulations of the BCCI. Under thesaid rules, the secretary, in consultation with the BCCI president,must issue a notice for the alleged misconduct. Abdi stressed that for theboard to issue a show-cause, it should have received a “writtencomplaint”.”The show-cause notice issued under Article 32 (iv) of the BCCIby-laws has not been properly applied in case of Mr Lalit Modi.Ideally there should have been a show-cause based on a written complaint.After receiving that complaint a show-cause could have been issued andif the president was not satisfied with the reply then he could havereferred the matter to the disciplinary committee. The day thecommittee takes charge of the complaint the proceeding would havestarted whereas in this case he has been put under suspension from dayone,” Abdi pointed out.According to Abdi, the very fact that the charges were based mostly onoral allegations strengthened Modi’s case in a big way. He said thathis client had constantly requested the board to reveal the name ofthe “reliable source”, who verbally alleged to Manohar that Modi wasinvolved in tarnishing the board’s image and the game, and alsorigging the auction for the two new franchises in March. In his emailexchanges with Srinivasan this week, Modi demanded more details aboutthe source and questioned why his/her name was not being revealedby the board, which is calling the alleged verbal conversation”private and confidential”.On May 13, Modi received a shot in the arm when the board wrote back, saying he could reply on the basis of the paperwork handed over to him by the BCCI. “All facts and documents, on which the notice has been issued, have been supplied to you,” the board said. “You may send your reply on the basis of the facts and documents which have been referred to.”Abdi said the documents submitted by the BCCI were of routine natureand negligible consequence. “The main thing the show-cause notice saysis based on the hearsay or gossips because [it is] despite [Modi] having impressedupon the BCCI twice or thrice to come out with names of the people whohave made allegations against Mr Modi. Mr Modi told the BCCI I reserve theright to cross-examine these people. Two days back, the BCCI wrote back tous that we are going to rely upon on the documents we have supplied toyou. But still Mr Modi has tried to explain even the charges made inthese oral allegations.”There have been indications since April 26, when the chargesheet wasissued, that Modi would reveal another side to the charges to indicatethat any culpability in this issue was not his alone. Abdi seemedto back that up on Saturday. He referred to , orgames within games, and said the response would “give a newperspective to the issue.”Abdi said Modi, despite having suffered immense “pain due to the sweeping oralallegations”, has still managed to exercise patience. “Despite thetone, tenor and the content of the show-cause being quite provocative,Mr Modi has been able to maintain calm and restraint while respondingto the queries or allegations raised.”In its notice to Modi, handed over shortly after the IPL final inMumbai, the BCCI listed five principal charges. These include doubtsover the bids for the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab franchises,a “facilitation fee” for renegotiation of the IPL broadcast rights,rigging of the franchise bids in 2010 and Modi’s “behaviouralpattern.”The next significant step in this matter is likely to take a while.Modi’s reply will now be taken up by the BCCI; if it is not satisfiedwith the reply, it will refer the case to its three-man disciplinarycommittee.Lawyers Harish Salve, Ram Jethmalani, Mahesh Jethmalani, Swadeep Vohra, Abhishek Singh and Venkatesh Dhone along with Abdi’s own team drafted the reply.
