Setback for Modi as high court dismisses his petition

MUMBAI - Suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi suffered a big blow Wednesday after the Bombay High Court dismissed his petition to reconstitute the disciplinary committee set up by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to probe the corruption charges levelled against him.

Modi had filed the petition in the high court asking for the recusal of Arun Jaitley and Chirayu Amin from the Disciplinary Committee on grounds that they were biased against him.

But Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice D.Y.Chandrachud refused to stay Wednesday’s proceedings of the disciplinary committee.

The court, however, held that Modi can raise the issue of bias at a later stage while challenging the final decision of the committee and the BCCI.

BCCI’s chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty was happy with the court’s order.

“We are happy that the court did not give any relief to Mr. Modi. The committee will proceed, the witnesses are already on the list and the meeting would go ahead.

“BCCI has always adopted a stand that we are not vindictive, we want a proper inquiry and a charge sheet was given to him (Modi). The court has dismissed his earlier petition also,” Shetty said.

Modi’s counsel Mahmood Abdi was unhappy and said that the BCCI did not listen to their request for deferring the hearing.

“What’s the hurry? It’s humanly impossible to reach there. The list of witnesses was given and it was clear who will depose first. It was to start with Sundar Raman but now they say the foreigners would be examined first.

“We have been allowed to make a request for deferment of this hearing, predetermined by the committee, to a future date,” Abdi told reporters.

“How can you examine all witnesses in three-four hours? What was the need to bring all of them (foreigners) together? This is unprecedented haste, speaks volumes for itself.”

Abdi said somebody from Modi’s side will be present at the hearing in New Delhi.

“Special Leave Petition is an option but we have not decided as yet,” he said.