Modi was suspended after show cause notice, says BCCI President

Mumbai, April 26 (ANI): President of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) Shashank Manohar on Monday said the Board issued a show-cause notice to Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi after looking into the allegations levelled against him and he was suspended, pending enquiry.

Speaking during a media briefing, the BCCI President said a probe into the matter would be undertaken after receiving Modi's reply to the notice.

"The Board looked into the allegations which were levelled and took a decision to issue a show-cause notice to Mr Lalit Modi (Indian Premier League commissioner) and pending inquiry, decided to suspend him. But as the tournament was on, we never wanted the tournament to be disrupted or any problems being created in the tournament. The show-cause notice was sent only after the tournament was over and thereafter Mr Modi was suspended. After receiving a reply from Mr Modi, the Board will hold an inquiry in the matter," said Shashank Manohar.

According to Manohar, the allegations on Modi the Board is looking into are related to the initial bids for Rajasthan Royals and King XI Punjab, the two IPL teams, the broadcasting deal issue, the matter of bid-rigging of the two new IPL franchises (from Kochi and Pune), internet rights, and also behavioral pattern of Lalit Modi.

Meanwhile, Chirayu Amin was named as the Interim Chairman of the League.

"The committee (IPL Governing Council) unanimously appointed Mr Chirayu Amin as an interim chairman of the (IPL) committee. And we also asked Professor Shetty (Secretary, BCCI) to look into all the records because many of the documents are missing today from the office of IPL and the Board. Every day the Income Tax Department is asking for documents, we don't have them in our custody," Manohar informed.

The BCCI President also said that a committee of former Indian cricket captains, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and Mansoor Ali Khan Patuadi, has been constituted to look at the modalities for the next IPL tournament in 2011.

"With regard to the tournament for the year 2011, the committee appointed Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and M A K (Mansoor Ali Khan) Pataudi to discuss and decide with regards to the modalities of with holding three foreign cricketers and four Indian players. After discussing the issue with the franchisees, they were also asked to come back to the Board so that a final decision in this regard could be taken," said Manohar.

Tax authorities are probing the three-year-old Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, valued at an estimated 4.1 billion dollars, after the Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor resigned from his post following allegations of improper influence for Kochi IPL team. (ANI)