Mumbai:
It was an offensive launched by him. But now, Lalit Modi runs the risk of turning into the biggest victim of his own war-strategy.
The Income Tax department has begun probing Modi after reports that have raised eyebrows on the source of funding of the Kochi IPL franchisee.
I-T officials conducted searches at three locations in Mumbai connected to IPL and Lalit Modi - IPL's office in South Mumbai, Lalit Modi's own office in South Central Mumbai, and at the hotel room he was occupying at the Four Seasons Hotel in the city.
Modi was first quizzed for over an hour from 1915 hours at Nirlon House in Worli area where his offices are located. A second team of I-T officials questioned him thereafter.
So have Income Tax authorities have not commented on the nature of the probe, but Modi said in a statement that it will "fully cooperate" with the Income Tax officials during the inquiry.
The slow simmer within the BCCI over Modi came full boil after Income Tax officials reached the IPL headquarters in Mumbai to inquire into the source of funding of the billion-dollar premier league.
The IPL office is based at the BCCI's headquarters in Mumbai, where Modi has cultivated many enemies over the last few years because of his alleged politics, flamboyance and self-aggrandizement.
"There is an inquiry. It is not a raid. The IT officials are possibly looking for the details of the tender (for Kochi team). We will extend all possible cooperation to them," Modi said to PTI on Wednesday evening. (Read: IPL will fully cooperate, says Lalit Modi)
The need to examine the funding of the IPL arises after a week that has seen a series of allegation and counter-allegations between Modi and Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor.
Meanwhile, sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tell NDTV that "Modi's wings will be clipped." Modi, who is the Commissioner and Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be checked by Shashank Manohar, who is being promoted to Co-Chairman.
Manohar is currently the President of the BCCI.
The issue will be discussed when the BCCI working committee meets on the 24th of this month. (Watch: Conflict of interest in IPL)
The battle led to so many accusations of inappropriate behaviour and proxy owners that the BJP christened this The Indian Corruption League.
On Monday, Modi went public on twitter with allegations that the owners of the new Kochi team, sold last month for 1530 crores, had tried to evade sharing the details of their stakeholders. Modi said that a close associate of Tharoor's, Sunanda Pushkar, had been gifted equity worth 70 crores. He also alleged that Tharoor had asked him not to probe Pushkar's stake. (Read: Tharoor meets Sonia Gandhi)
The revelations led to the Opposition demanding Tharoor's resignation for inappropriate patronage, and the Kochi team-owners threatening to sue Modi for breach of confidentiality.
Tharoor, to NDTV, said there was no question of resigning, that he had lobbied for an IPL team for Kerala because it is his home state, and that irrespective of his relationship with Pushkar, he had not and would not benefit financially from the deal. (Read: I won't quit, Tharoor to NDTV)
The last two days have seen new accusations emerge, involving political and powerful names. The Kochi team-owners have alleged that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi joined forces with the other Modi, asking them to walk away from their franchise. The Gujarat Cricket Association, of which Modi is the President, has emphatically denied this. Union Minister Sharad Pawar, who is the Bombay Cricket Association chief, was also drawn into the controversy by media reports that suggested he, too, had vested interests in ensuring the IPL franchise did not rest in Kochi. (Read: Has Lalit Modi created an Indian Parivar League?)
Sources in his camp, however, have told NDTV a very different chain of events. They say that after winning the bid, members of the Kochi consortium, led by a man named Harshad Mehta, asked if Pawar could help them move their franchise to Ahmedabad. Mehta's reasoning was that Kochi does not have an IPL-standard stadium, and the consortium would be unhappy with setting up base in towns like Gwalior or Indore which may have better stadia, but will not be able to deliver large volumes of ticket sales to matches. Pawar's aides insist that he told them he would not intervene, and that he confirmed the same to Tharoor on the phone, who, in turn, thanked him. (Read: Kochi IPL owners appoint new CEO)
(With PTI inputs)
The Income Tax department has begun probing Modi after reports that have raised eyebrows on the source of funding of the Kochi IPL franchisee.
I-T officials conducted searches at three locations in Mumbai connected to IPL and Lalit Modi - IPL's office in South Mumbai, Lalit Modi's own office in South Central Mumbai, and at the hotel room he was occupying at the Four Seasons Hotel in the city.
Modi was first quizzed for over an hour from 1915 hours at Nirlon House in Worli area where his offices are located. A second team of I-T officials questioned him thereafter.
So have Income Tax authorities have not commented on the nature of the probe, but Modi said in a statement that it will "fully cooperate" with the Income Tax officials during the inquiry.
The slow simmer within the BCCI over Modi came full boil after Income Tax officials reached the IPL headquarters in Mumbai to inquire into the source of funding of the billion-dollar premier league.
The IPL office is based at the BCCI's headquarters in Mumbai, where Modi has cultivated many enemies over the last few years because of his alleged politics, flamboyance and self-aggrandizement.
"There is an inquiry. It is not a raid. The IT officials are possibly looking for the details of the tender (for Kochi team). We will extend all possible cooperation to them," Modi said to PTI on Wednesday evening. (Read: IPL will fully cooperate, says Lalit Modi)
The need to examine the funding of the IPL arises after a week that has seen a series of allegation and counter-allegations between Modi and Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor.
Meanwhile, sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tell NDTV that "Modi's wings will be clipped." Modi, who is the Commissioner and Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be checked by Shashank Manohar, who is being promoted to Co-Chairman.
Manohar is currently the President of the BCCI.
The issue will be discussed when the BCCI working committee meets on the 24th of this month. (Watch: Conflict of interest in IPL)
The battle led to so many accusations of inappropriate behaviour and proxy owners that the BJP christened this The Indian Corruption League.
On Monday, Modi went public on twitter with allegations that the owners of the new Kochi team, sold last month for 1530 crores, had tried to evade sharing the details of their stakeholders. Modi said that a close associate of Tharoor's, Sunanda Pushkar, had been gifted equity worth 70 crores. He also alleged that Tharoor had asked him not to probe Pushkar's stake. (Read: Tharoor meets Sonia Gandhi)
The revelations led to the Opposition demanding Tharoor's resignation for inappropriate patronage, and the Kochi team-owners threatening to sue Modi for breach of confidentiality.
Tharoor, to NDTV, said there was no question of resigning, that he had lobbied for an IPL team for Kerala because it is his home state, and that irrespective of his relationship with Pushkar, he had not and would not benefit financially from the deal. (Read: I won't quit, Tharoor to NDTV)
The last two days have seen new accusations emerge, involving political and powerful names. The Kochi team-owners have alleged that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi joined forces with the other Modi, asking them to walk away from their franchise. The Gujarat Cricket Association, of which Modi is the President, has emphatically denied this. Union Minister Sharad Pawar, who is the Bombay Cricket Association chief, was also drawn into the controversy by media reports that suggested he, too, had vested interests in ensuring the IPL franchise did not rest in Kochi. (Read: Has Lalit Modi created an Indian Parivar League?)
Sources in his camp, however, have told NDTV a very different chain of events. They say that after winning the bid, members of the Kochi consortium, led by a man named Harshad Mehta, asked if Pawar could help them move their franchise to Ahmedabad. Mehta's reasoning was that Kochi does not have an IPL-standard stadium, and the consortium would be unhappy with setting up base in towns like Gwalior or Indore which may have better stadia, but will not be able to deliver large volumes of ticket sales to matches. Pawar's aides insist that he told them he would not intervene, and that he confirmed the same to Tharoor on the phone, who, in turn, thanked him. (Read: Kochi IPL owners appoint new CEO)
(With PTI inputs)
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