IPL row: BCCI working committee endorses charges against Lalit Modi

Lalit Modi's alleged financial irregularities dominated the discussion in today's Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) working committee meeting, during which the members "agreed" with the charges levelled against the suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner.

During the hour-long deliberation at its headquarters, BCCI president Shashank Manohar explained to the 22 members of
the committee just why it was important to suspend Modi from all IPL and board posts.

"All the members agreed upon the charges against Modi," a source told PTI.

"All the happenings leading up to the suspension were also told to the members. Manohar informed the members about several deals that Modi entered into without the IPL governing council's knowledge, including the TV rights deal," he added.

Modi was suspended as the chairman and commissioner of the league after the IPL final last Sunday because of alleged financial irregularities and rigging of bids.

Modi was charged on five counts, including irregularities in the bids of Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab and in the
broadcast and internet deals, and has to file his replies within 15 days to these charges.

He has been replaced at the helm in the interim by Chirayu Amin, another vice-president of the BCCI.

The invalid IPL tickets issued to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and charges of bypassing MCA while organising IPL matches in Mumbai were also discussed in the meeting.

"From now on, all the IPL matches will have to be conducted through the host association. They cannot deal directly with the stadium authorities. Host association cannot be bypassed," said the source.

MCA had hit out at the IPL for dealing with the match-staging authorities such as the Cricket Club of India or the D Y Patil Sports Academy for hiring their stadiums directly and not through the association.

The MCA had boycotted all the home matches of Mumbai Indians held at the CCI's Brabourne Stadium as a result.

"The issue of invalid tickets was also discussed and from now on 15% of the tickets would be given to the host association and 5% would be kept aside for the BCCI," the source revealed.

Invalid tickets were allegedly handed over to the MCA members for the April 25 IPL final at the D Y Patil Stadium which led to former India player Nari Contractor being humiliated at the gate when he went to see the summit clash.

Contractor and other MCA ticket holders were told by the guards manning the gate that the tickets were not valid without an accompanying badge.