Mumbai, Apr 26 (PTI): Baroda Cricket Association President Chirayu Amin was appointed the interim Chairman of the Indian Premier League in place of the high-flying Lalit Modi, who came in for a scathing attack from BCCI President Shashank Manohar here today.
The decision to appoint Amin was taken at the crucial meeting of the IPL Governing Council, which lasted close to one and a half hour.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Manohar said Modi would be charged on five counts -- shady initial bids of Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, a suspect broadcast deal with Sony, bid rigging of two new franchises this year and his behavioral pattern.
”The chargesheet was discussed and the Committee also appointed Chirayu Amin as the interim chairman. BCCI CAO Ratnakar Shetty will look into all the records,” Manohar said.
Manohar also said that some important documents were missing from the Board and IPL offices.
The crucial IPL Governing Council meeting began here today, barely hours after the BCCI suspended Lalit Modi as the Chairman and Commissioner of the high-profile Twenty20 event.
BCCI President Shashank Manohar, vice-President Arun Jaitley, secretary N Srinivasan, media and finance committee chairman Rajiv Shukla and IPL vice-chairman Niranjan Shah were among the members of the council present at the Board headquarters here.
Modi was to chair the meeting before he was suspended and issued a show cause notice for alleged financial irregularities late last night. Modi has been asked to explain within 15 days why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for what the BCCI described as 'individual misdemeanors'.
”While we rejoice and celebrate the great success of IPL Season 3, the alleged acts of individual misdemeanors of Mr Lalit K Modi, Chairman IPL and Vice President BCCI have brought a bad name to the administration of Cricket and the game itself,” Manohar said in a press release which announced Modi's suspension from the Board, IPL, the Working Committee and any other committee.
Due to this, Modi cannot participate in today's meeting that will go into the alleged financial wrong-doings in the IPL and how to set right things.
The IPL Governing Council also includes Punjab Cricket Association chief I S Bindra, BCCI treasurer M P Pandove, vice-President Chirayu Amin, joint secretary Sanjay Jagdale, J&K Cricket Association chief Farooq Abdullah and former India captains Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
Governing Council not party to most Modi decisions
BCCI President Shashank Manohar today waived off Lalit Modi's claims that all IPL decisions were taken collectively by the Governing Council. According to him most of the time the suspended Commissioner acted unilaterally. ”An allegation is being made and the media is saying all the members of the (IPL) Governing Council are party to all these decisions. Now most of the contracts which are entered into, are entered without the consent of the governing council,” Manohar told reporters here.
The BCCI chief said Modi would inform about contracts after he had signed them on behalf of IPL and the other parties and the Governing Council will have to pass them, as there were no other alternatives.” So the Governing Council has no other option and are presented with a fait accompli,” Manohar said while explaining about the murky deals that have come under the scanner of the Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate departments.
Manohar reluctantly conceded that the reason for the IPL mess was because too much power had been entrusted with one person -- Modi. “Unfortunately I have to say yes,” he said.
