BCCI hits back at Lalit Modi, defends Chirayu Amin

New Delhi:

BCCI President Shashank Manohar on Saturday said that suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi wanted Chirayu Amin to be a part of the consortium that bid for the Pune IPL team.

On Friday, Modi had claimed that Amin, who became the interim IPL chairman after his suspension, was one of the bidders for the Pune IPL franchise along with City Corporation, a company in which former BCCI chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and his family had 16 % stake. (Read: Pawar family denies involvement in failed IPL bid)

"There were three members in the consortium that was part of the bid. They were Aniruddha, Akruti and Chirayu Amin," Modi said on Friday.

Reacting strongly to the allegations by Modi, Manohar said in a statement: "Mr Modi, since yesterday (Friday) is trying to malign the image of the Board and Mr. Chirayu Amin by making statements which are far from the truth."

"It is alleged by Mr Modi, that Mr Amin had given a bid along with the Pune Franchisee - City Corporation Ltd. He has further alleged that I did not inform him about the letter from Mr. Amin seeking permission to bid and that the said communication was suppressed from him and the Governing Council Members," Manohar said.

"The truth is that it was Mr Modi himself who sent a message to the Pune Franchisees through Mr Ajay Shirke, President, MCA, asking them to contact Mr. Amin and ask him to be a part of the Consortium," he added.

Modi had said on Friday that while Pawar's family owned 16% of City Corporation, the bid was made "in the individual capacity" of the Managing Director of the company, Aniruddha Deshpande along with two other members - Akruti and Amin.

Amin, the Baroda Cricket Association chief, also came out in the open on Friday about his association with the failed bid for the Pune IPL team.

He told NDTV that "there was transparency at every step" that he had taken. He further informed that he had agreed to invest 10% in the Pune IPL bid from an associate firm and had written a letter to BCCI President Shashank Manohar to inform him about his involvement. (Read: Amin accepts he bid for Pune IPL team, says informed BCCI)

Amin's statement was backed by the BCCI President who said: "When the Pune Franchisee approached Mr. Amin to join their Consortium, he informed them that he might join the Consortium by making an investment of upto 10 %. Mr. Amin had then given me a letter with a copy to the Hony Secretary, informing that he has been approached by the Pune Franchisee. In his letter he clearly states that should City Corporation Ltd win the bid, he would then formally approach the Board for a sanction to invest in the Consortium. The letter itself makes it very clear that it was a proposal with a pre-condition attached- that Mr Amin would seek a formal sanction only in case the bid succeeds."

In reply to Modi's accusation that the IPL governing council was not informed about Amin's involvement in the bid, Manohar said: "The Board and the Governing Council would have needed to consider Mr Amin's case only if and when he put forward a concrete proposal to invest." (Read: Lalit Modi claims Chirayu Amin bid for IPL team)

Manohar also said in his statement that Amin's letter was not for asking permission to bid. He also added that the Vadodara-based industrialist was not a bidder with City Corporation Ltd and this even Modi has agreed in his interview to a TV channel.

The BCCI President also questioned Modi for not sharing the personal details of Aniruddha Deshpande, MD City, who bid in his individual capacity.

"Mr Modi has also made a statement that Mr Aniruddha Deshpande,MD City Corporation Ltd, had informed him that though the bid was submitted on behalf of City Corporation Ltd, it was in fact a personal bid on behalf of himself. Mr Modi, who claims to be above board in all matters, did not think this very cogent and important piece of information should be shared with Governing Council Members /Officials. His statement becomes even more questionable in the light of the fact that the bid document tendered on behalf of City Corporation Ltd gives information only regarding City Corporation Ltd and does not give any personal information about Mr Aniruddha Deshpande. The bid could have been rejected at the threshold if it had been from Mr Aniruddha Deshpande, in his individual capacity, as it did not carry the necessary information about the bidder, i.e. Mr Deshpande," Manohar said.

Lashing out at the suspended IPL chief, Manohar said: "Mr. Modi, who is himself in the dock, is trying to tarnish the image of the Board by making false and misleading statements time and again when as a fact the Board has landed in this embarrassing situation due to his own misdeeds".