MUMBAI:
The first signs that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is distancing itself from Lalit Modi became evident on Friday.
The IPL honcho, despite being present at Dharamsala, was not invited for an unofficial high-level meeting that got under way in the hilly town on Friday. Secondly, the Board has decided that Modi will be on his own if he really wants to sue a member of the Kochi franchise, as he had threatened to do in the morning.
Former Congress MP Satyajit Gaekwad, who was the spokesperson of Rendezvous Sports World before being replaced, had alleged two days ago that, "one week after the bid was declared in favour of Kochi, the investor from Rendezvous, Shailendra Gaikwad (CEO), was called by Mr Modi and told that he would be given $50 million if he just quit the game and got out."
Responding to the allegation, Modi said on Friday, "I will take legal recourse. I am awaiting the clippings (in which the allegation was made). Once I have that, I will serve them a legal notice, possibly tomorrow (Saturday)." If Modi does go to court, he has to do it in on his own. The BCCI has made it clear that "he won’t get any support on this count. He cannot use the BCCI to settle a personal problem," a Board official told TOI.
Interestingly, both Satyajit and Shailendra were relieved of their posts by the franchise on Thursday.
TOI has learnt that this is one among many issues in which the BCCI does not want to associate itself with Modi. BCCI president Shashank Manohar asked his key officials to come to Dharmsala, ostensibly to watch the match between Deccan Chargers and Kings XI. But in truth it was to discuss the fallout of the Kochi-Modi saga and the income tax ‘raid’ on BCCI’s headquarters.
Modi was not invited for the informal tete-a-tete. He still landed up in the picturesque town as he has been trying his best to watch each and every match.
