BCCI expects Lalit Modi to appear before disciplinary committee

Armed with a favourable court verdict, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today said it now expects suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi to appear before its disciplinary committee as directed by the Bombay high court.

The board said that the discplinary committee may be forced to issue a fresh date to Modi in case the suspended commissioner fails to attend tomorrow's hearing.

"We don't look at it (order) in terms of victory or losing actually. The proper procedure that the board had followed in appointing the disciplinary committee for enquiring into the various charges against Lalit Modi were challenged by him in the court.

"... And the court today came out with the verdict that he has to appear before the committe with whatever problems he has and they will look into it," BCCI's chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty said.

The division bench of the Bombay high court comprising justice BH Marlapalle and justice Roshan Dalvi rejected the petition filed by Modi seeking reconstitution of the disciplinary committee of BCCI.

The disciplinary committee comprises interim IPL chairman Chirayu Amin, Arun Jaitley and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

"This is an official procedure of the disciplinary committee that starts with that notice which was sent to him. And after receiving the notice he has gone to court and today the court has given the directive that he has to appear before the disciplinary committee. And I suppose that's what it is," Shetty said.

He said if Modi fails to attend the hearing fixed for 12 noon tomorrow, than the committee has the option of providing him with a fresh date.

"I don't know about the procedure or legalities. Normally tomorrow, if he does not turn up for the hearing, than probably a fresh date may be issued to him by the disciplinary committee," Shetty said.

The high court, rejecting Modi's plea, today said that it was not going into the merits of IPL commissioner's petition but disciplinary committee itself can decide on the reconstitution when it meets tomorrow.

Modi had said that he wanted the committee of independent persons and not of those who are the members of the BCCI, as they would be biased against him.

Modi was slapped with three showcause notices after his suspension by the BCCI and has replied to all three notices.

The suspension order was issued to Modi by the BCCI on April 25 following which he was slapped showcause notices on April 26, May 6 and May 31.