The Curious Case of Lalit Modi: IPL Controversy

Since the start of the IPL-1, back in 2008 it's been making news in some or other way. Some times good and most of the time bad.  I still remember the first controversy started was with the Cheerleaders and many more common and uncommon allegation against it.  Now it has back in the news, but that's not for the earlier reasons, but for an new and very complicated reason.

Lalit K, Modi, the "Former" Chairman and Commissioner of IPL, yes former! He is been suspended from the chairman of IPL(Indian Premier League) Position just after few hours of the Final game of IPL-3, 2010.  Recently which ever news channel I tune into, I see only IPL, BCCI, Lalit Modi, Shashi Tharoor, and other politicians names involved with IPL.

What Exactly happened? Why Lalit Modi is been suspended? How the controversy started? What's Next?

The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has charged a total of 22 cases against 46 years old Lalit Modi, Suspended Chairman and Commissioner of IPL, and also Vice President of BCCI. 

Before knowing what are those, I thought of telling you How this IPL controversies started? suddenly, even before the end of the season 3? 

Lalit Modi, who is on Twitter and tweet regularly, tweeted on April 11, 2010 the shareholder details of the Kochi IPL.

Team franchise owners Rendezvous Sports World (RSW) Group,  one of the two new IPL teams which are going to play from IPL 2011.  Disclosure of these details was against the agreement. 

But, what made the IPL commissioner to take this step?

He mentioned that an Union Minister has asked not to get into details of Sunanda Pushkar, who was issued a free equity of 18% approximately which is of Rs.70 Crores worth in RSW Group. Now who is Sunanda Pushkar?

Sunanda Pushkar one of the shareholder in Kochi IPL team, is said to be having and affair with Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs.  The question been raised, from where Sunanda Pushkar invested so much money, Did she acting as an proxy to Shashi Tharoor in the shares?

 

Then the whole limelight was shifted on Shashi Tharoor, who later resigned on the pressure from the opposition who was alleged for misuse of office power indulging in IPL Kochi team negotiations for an sweat equity for his so called girlfriend Sunanda Pushkar, but claimed that he has no role in this issue? 

Is Shashi Tharoor guilty? What are mistakes he did?

Shashi Tharoor, who was an bureaucrat in the United Nations who won from the Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala constituency with and majority votes, has never understood the Congress culture and was living as an International bureaucrat. Major mistake he did was making embarrassing statements on ministry he holds and stated "Economy class as the Cattle class", was not acceptable by the party as apparently they are voted by those so called cattle class Mango man(Aam admi) and more on not being maintaining an good rapport with the senior offices, the result was when he was in trouble no one supported him. 

Here are the few allegation against Lalit Modi by BCCI.

There is an amount of Rs 400 crore, which was gone to some middleman, who are they?

Charged against Betting & Laundering of money.

Involvement in Match Fixing, Bid Rigging(In Kochi and Pune teams), and Illegal dealings.

There were Financial Irregularities, since the bids were given on Companies Name, but there are given to Individuals eq., Preity Zinta. 

More stress on Broadcast Deal? As there is been $80 Million been paid by MSM (Multi Screen Media), the Telecasting Agency as "Facilitation Fee", what is this Facilitation fee?

IPL TV Rights has bagged by the Worlds Sport Group(WSG) for the period of 10 years for an amount of $918 Million and further $108 Million for promotion activity. Where MSM signed an deal with Sony official broadcasting to telecast the live matches.

What these all as resulted in?

Simple answer, IT Raids. There were Income Tax raids on all the offices involved with IPL, including all franchise owner books(even the kochi and pune teams) and said to be found unaccounted money, the figure is yet to be announced publicly. 

The BCCI has suspened Lalit Modi and appointed Chirayu Amin as an Interim Chairman. Further they said thatn Important documents are gone missing from the IPL as well as BCCI offices.. Now lots of question comes. 

What Lalit Modi is doing?

As expected, he is consulting the countries top lawyers and planning to take legal action against BCCI for his suspension,  and preparing for an response against the charges.  

This case looks to be very complicated,  a few more breaking news are going to pop up on the screens soon, there are lots of big shots/Politicians Babus involved in it. 


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