BCCI disciplinary panel to have six more hearings till Sept 28

The BCCI Disciplinary Committee probing the alleged financial irregularities by suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi today fixed six more hearings till September 28 after both sides agreed to the schedule and procedure of the proceedings here today.

The BCCI, in a statement said, both sides would furnish evidence and be subjected to cross examination on September 13-15 and September 26-28.

"The hearing had been fixed today to finalise procedure and time schedule for further hearing in this enquiry. The advance dates for hearing of evidence/cross examination are fixed for 13/14/15 September and 26/27/28th of September 2010. The hearing would be held at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi from 10 am. to 1 pm. and from 6 pm to 9 pm," the statement said.

"It is agreed that the BCCI would submit a list of witnesses along with their witness statement on or before 7th September 2010 with advance copy to counsels of Mr Modi. It will be the responsibilities of the BCCI to make these witnesses available for cross examination by the counsels of Mr Modi. The next dates for hearing are fixed for these purposes," the statement added.

It said on completion of BCCI's evidence, counsels for Modi would thereafter submit a list of witnesses which they want to produce and a week would be given for filing of witness statement and making them available for cross examination.

"In case the evidence on behalf of BCCI gets completed on these dates and the assessment would be made by 15th of September with regard to witness and advance statement of Mr LK Modi's witnesses," according to the minutes of the meeting released by the BCCI.

"Both BCCI and Mr Modi's counsels are directed to file statement indicating the documents of the other side which they dispute and this shall be completed by 7th September 2010," the statement signed by BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Prof Ratnakar Shetty said.

"Counsel for Mr Modi indicated that their participation in this enquiry is without prejudice of right to challenge the orders that the committee passed on 11th August 2010 (on recusal issue)," it said.

Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi said the hearings will be over by September 28, as day before the BCCI Annual General Meeting.

"The proceedings will be over by September 28. We will have continuous meeting of three days on two occasions next month. We will have back to back meetings on September 13-15 and September 26-28 after today," Abdi told reporters after today's hearing here.

Abdi said that the panel has virtually agreed that Modi will be exempted from personal appearance in consideration of the threat on his life by agreeing that they will speak to him via videoconferencing when required.

"Modi is facing a threat to his life and he is not required to appear personally at this stage. It has been agreed by the panel today that he can be contacted via videoconferencing whenever required," he said.

Asked about the Cricket Board chief Shashank Manohar's threat to initiate criminal proceedings against Modi, Abdi said in that case the disciplinary committee hearing was meaningless.

"This disciplinary committee hearing is meaningless if the BCCI is to initiate criminal proceedings against Modi. BCCI can use any option but we will not be cowed down by any such threat," he said.

"We also have the option to go back to the High Court after the proceedings are over," he added.

Abdi said the Cricket Board was acting "malafide" by not taking cognisance of its secretary N Srinivasan's "inappropriate things" during IPL players' auction.

"BCCI is acting malafide by not taking cognisance of Srinivasan's inappropriate things. The trail of e-mails against Srinivasan speak of themselves. It is like one rule for Srinivasan and another for Modi," he said.

"The Board issued a show-cause notice to Modi only on the basis of an e-mail by ECB Chairman Giles Clarke. And now there is a trail of e-mails indicating some kind of irregularities by Srinivasan in the players' auction. But they are not taking cognisance of the matter," he added.

Abdi said the presence of Srinivasan in an earlier meeting was not declared by the BCCI and he raised the matter this time also.

"We have levelled allegations against Srinivasan that he was present in an earlier meeting and the committee should come out with an order on how they would deal with it. We know he was very much inside the venue during that meeting and his presence was not recorded in writing," Abdi said.

Asked about the rejection of his client's demand for recusal of Chirayu Amin and Arun Jaitley, Abdi said they thought the latter member would leave the panel considering he is an eminent lawyer.

"We thought Jaitley would recuse himself just like Shashank Manohar had done. But he preferred to do otherwise. It was a setback not only for us but for everyone who wants fair trial and equity," he said.