IPL Controversy: Who's Who

Season Three of the Indian Premier League might have been kicked off on March 12 but the real IPL, that the BJP has christened the ‘Indian Corruption League' began on April 12, and that too, with a tweet.

Lalit Modi, the Commissioner of the Indian Premier League, tweeted details of the stakeholders in the new Kochi IPL team that was sold on March 21 for Rs 1530 crores.

Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of the then Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, owned 18 per cent free equity of the franchise. Shashi Tharoor, however, insisted all along that any link with the Kochi team from his home state is just that of "a mentor.”

On April 18, Tharoor put in his papers and Sunanda gave up stake in the Kochi IPL team. The verdict on Lalit Modi, for now, remains undecided. The controversy continues to unfold as key players in the ‘corruption league' continue to surface.

Here's a look at how a tweet snowballed into a heavy duty IPL controversy and the key players in the saga.

The saga began on April 12, when Lalit Modi, the Commissioner of the Indian Premier League, tweeted details of the stakeholders in the new Kochi IPL team that was sold on March 21 for Rs 1530 crores.

Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, owned 18 per cent free equity of the franchise. One of the partners in the consortium was Rendezvous Sports World which was given 25 per cent of the franchise at no cost; of this 18 per cent, was gifted to Sunanda, the balance was divided among three other members of Rendezvous.

The controversy heated up when after naming Sunanda, Modi tweeted that he was asked not to check the background of the controversial buyers. "I was told by him not to get into who owns Rendezvous, especially Sunanda. Why?"

Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs, insisted all along that any link with the Kochi team from his home state is just that of "a mentor."

The battle between Lalit Modi and Shashi Tharoor continued to unfold publicly as on April 13, Tharoor tweeted "I've had enough" with a link to his official press release.

Tharoor reasserted in his press release that his only role in the Kochi bid was that of an advisor and mentor. "Rendezvous includes a number of people, including many I have never met, and Sunanda Pushkar, whom I know well," he states.

All was not well for the man who triggered the controversy as Rendezvous accused Modi of breaching confidentiality agreements. Vivek Venugopal, a co-owner of the Kochi team told NDTV, " We have ... asked for Mr Lalit Modi to reveal the shareholding structures of all the other IPL teams owned by consortiums like Kings XI, Kolkata Knightriders and Rajasthan Royals. Why are the various owners of these teams and their stakes not being revealed?"

Shashank Manohar, the President of the BCCI, also wrote to Modi, rebuking him over his public disclosure.

The controversy escalated when Modi replied to Manohar's letter saying, "It is the Kochi franchisee who has a lot to hide and as such have lied about who is the actual owners of the shares... And in fact when I questioned who the shareholders are --- they had no answer. In fact, they said they would revert back. Within minutes of me asking the same --- I got a call from Shashi Tharoor asking me not to ask about who these share-holders are."

Sources close to the Kochi team-owners however, defended Sunanda Pushkar, saying that there is no reason to question why she was given free equity in the franchise.

In her 40s, Sunanda runs a spa in Dubai. She also holds an executive's post with an infrastructure company owned by the Emirate government. She has worked with advertising firms, a travel agency in Dubai as well as with an IT firm in Toronto.

In a hard-hitting statement on April 15, Pushkar accused the media of ignoring her professional background and international business experience.

A close friend of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, Sunanda Pushkar has been seen with him at various social events in the recent past.

She has, in fact, been introduced several times as Tharoor's "friend from Canada". Tharoor has acknowledged that he knows her very well.

There is growing speculation that she's engaged to the then junior Foreign Minister but there has been no official confirmation of that yet.

To add more Bollywood masala to the IPL triangle, a senior member of Tharoor's staff claimed on April 14 that the minister had received a death threat via SMS in connection with his alleged link to the Kochi IPL team.

Lalit Modi found himself in the eye of the storm yet again when the CEO of the Kochi franchise, Shailendar Gaekwad, claimed that Modi had offered them 50 million dollars to sell the team. A sign, said Gaekwad, that Modi desperately wanted a new IPL franchise in another part of the country instead of Kochi.

On April 15 entered the other Modi. A spokesperson for the Rendezvous Sports World alleged that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, together with Lalit Modi, had pressured the owners of the Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL) to give up their cricket franchise.

The Gujarat government denial was swift in coming. "The allegation is baseless," said Amit Shah, Home Minister, Gujarat, insisting that the "Gujarat cricket association is not involved."

Meanwhile, Tharoor, speaking exclusively to NDTV, asserted that there was no question of resigning and that "resigning would mean I've given up."

He had said he would convey the details of his relationship with the Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL) to Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister. "I have done nothing wrong, I stand with my head held high," he added.

The Prime Minister who was then on tour had said on record that he would evaluate the situation when he returned. Exclusive: Full transcript of Tharoor's interview to NDTV

Shouted down by an Opposition that wants a statement only from the Prime Minister now, Junior Foreign Minister Shashi Tharoor on April 16 read out a personal explanation on the Kochi IPL imbroglio outside Parliament after tabling it in the House.

However, opposition members stormed the well, in no mood to listen to the minister. (Read&Watch: Tharoor's statement)

On the Prime Minister's arrival back home, the Minister of State for External Affairs met with him on April 18.

Later that evening, came the resignation. Tharoor told the PM and Congress President Sonia Gandhi that he didn't want to embarrass the government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh forwarded Tharoor's resignation to President Pratibha Patil and a little before midnight that same day, came the announcement that the President of India had accepted Tharoor's resignation from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect.

On that very day, Sunanda Pushkar's lawyer, Ashish Mehta, announced her decision to give up stake in the Kochi IPL team. He said her decision had nothing to do with Tharoor. Sharing a statement issued by her, Mehta quoted, "I am a professional with 20 years of experience. Given the deeply unpleasant publicity, I can no longer find the enthusiasm required to associate myself with any IPL activity in the future," Mehta said that Pushkar has returned her sweat equity voluntarily and seeks no compensation for services rendered so far.

Lalit Modi may have launched the offensive, but it soon became clear that he ran the risk of turning into the biggest victim of his own war-strategy as the Income Tax department began probing Modi on April 16.

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.

Meanwhile, sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told NDTV that "Modi's wings will be clipped." Modi, who is the Commissioner and Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) would be checked by Shashank Manohar, who is being promoted to Co-Chairman.

IPL's Governing council is apparently not too happy with Modi's style of functioning that has spawned a lot of controversies, the most damaging so far being the Kochi IPL bid.

The issue will be discussed when the BCCI working committee meets on April 26.

One of the franchisees under the microscope is the Rajasthan Royals - a team Lalit Modi is accused of having a stake in. But the team management says it's ready to face a probe.

"As far as I'm concerned the Rajasthan Royals is above board. It is an income tax probe, let it be an I-T, and not media probe. If there is proof then legal action be taken. Let's not jump the gun," Rajasthan Royals co-owner Shilpa Shetty said.

With Tharoor and Sunanda's exit, all eyes are now on Lalit Modi.

The BCCI may use Modi's vicious battle with Shashi Tharoor, to launch its strongest offensive yet against Modi, who is immensely powerful, and widely disliked within the BCCI.

Sharad Pawar, who had been receiving much flak from the Congress for standing by Modi all along, made a swift U-Turn on April 20 when he met with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P Chidambaram and was reportedly told to distance himself from Modi.

For now, Pawar simply says: "The IPL governing council will meet and take a collective decision on Modi."

Sharad Pawar also met Shashank Manohar, who is also believed to be the man who will take over when Modi is forced to step down as IPL chief after the finals of IPL3 on Sunday, April 25.

The man who started it all now is preparing for the fight of his life.

Upon returning to Mumbai from Dubai, Lalit Modi told reporters that there is "no chance" of his resigning as Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Instead, he's readying a defense that he will present at the crucial governing council meeting of the IPL on April 24. Modi is aware that he may be asked to step down at this meeting.

However, in this battle, Modi is not alone. Team owners have come out in support.

"I won't subscribe to the theory that someone is guilty unless he proves himself innocent. Modi is the architect of the IPL. I am not concerned about his tax things, let the government deal with that," Vijay Mallya, owner of the Royal Challenger Bangalore told NDTV.

Lalit Modi later thanked Vijay Mallya on Twitter.

IPL Pune Team owner Subroto Roy said, "Modi has played an important role in developing cricket to this level."

The excavation to get to the root of the funding of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has gone deeper - the offices of multi-national companies associated with broadcasting IPL cricket matches were visited by income tax officials on April 21.

The "surveys" as tax officials call them, were conducted at four different locations, including the offices of the two groups who hold the rights to telecasting IPL matches: World Sports Group and Sony Multi Screen Media (MSM).

The Adani Group, that had participated in the recent Indian Premier League auction for two new teams, issued a statement on April 21 refuting reports that their bidding papers had gone missing.

Reports surfaced earlier suggesting that the bidding papers of the Adani and the Videocon groups, which had bid unsuccessfully at the auction, were missing and the Income Tax department was hunting for them to close gaps in its investigations.

There were allegations that when the first round of bidding took place, papers were tweaked to favour Dhoot of Videocon and the Adani group.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has already promised Parliament that the funds of all IPL team-owners is being investigated. "No guilty or wrong-doer" will be spared, he said on April 19.

Indian Premier League team owners are now beginning to feel the heat of the massive probe into IPL funding.

In Chandigarh, home to the Kings XI Punjab, a court has summoned Zinta, Wadia , and their co-owner Mohit Burman, on July 23. The reason: they have failed so far to provide their balance sheets and details of their accounts.

In Kolkata, income tax officials visited the offices of Shah Rukh's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), located within the headquarters of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

In Mumbai, IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi was questioned again at the Four Seasons Hotel where he's staying about a multi-million dollar contract for the broadcasting rights of IPL.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has added its own brand of glitzy glamour to cricket. Top industrialists and Bollywood stars are riding the cricket bandwagon, lending it new meaning with unprecedented money pouring into the game.

Flooded by tinsel town and India Inc biggies, this sports league brings together two of the country's most celebrated passions - Cricket, and Bollywood!

With Golden Goose IPL taking centerstage, all else takes a backseat. Here's a look at the owners.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan, joining hands with Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, won the bid for the Kolkata team for $75.09 million.

Kings XI Punjab owned by Bollywood Actress Priety Zinta and Ness Wadia, was bought for an amount of $76 million at the auction conducted in 2008.

India's business elite is also on show at the IPL. Reliance Industries Chief Mukesh Ambani pipped Vijay Mallya to win the bid for the Mumbai team for USD 111.9 million.

Mumbai Indians represent Mumbai for the IPL and is the most expensive team. The team is led by Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar.

IPL has turned bollywoods glamour gal Shilpa Shetty into an entrepreneur as she cheers for her team Rajasthan Royals, that won the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament.

Deccan Chargers was bought by T Venkattaram Reddy of the Deccan Chronicle group for an amount of $107 million. This was the third highest amount after the Mumbai Indians and Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Vijay Mallya, CEO of UB Group and Kingfisher Airlines, is the proud owner of Bangalore Royal Challengers. This team was bought for an amount of $111.6 million stood the second highest amount after the Mumbai team.

According to latest tabloid buzz, Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone was spotted socializing with industrialist Vijay Mallya's son Siddharth Mallya during IPL matches in Bangalore.

N Srinivasan, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of the India Cements Ltd bagged the Chennai team for $ 90 million.

Delhi Daredevils is the team representing the national capital of Delhi in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team is led by ace batsman Gautam Gambhir while coached by Greg Shipperd.