Deccan Chargers move Supreme Court against termination
The cash-strapped Deccan Chargers today moved the Supreme Court against the team's termination from the Indian Premier League (IPL) by the BCCI.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: January 28, 2013 03:43 PM IST
The cash-strapped Deccan Chargers today moved the Supreme Court against the team's termination from the Indian Premier League (IPL) by the BCCI.
The Deccan Chargers have challenged the Bombay High Court order refusing to set aside a status quo order passed by an arbitrator on cessation of its membership in the league.
The appeal against the High Court order was mentioned by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi before a bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, which said it would hear the matter later in the day.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday set aside a status quo order passed by an arbitrator on cessation of its membership in the league.
Hearing a petition filed by the Cricket Board, Justice R D Dhanuka had quashed the status quo order passed by the arbitrator appointed by the High Court to resolve the dispute between BCCI and Deccan Chronicles Holdings Limited (DCHL).
On another petition filed by DCHL against termination of the contract of its IPL franchise, the court refused to grant any interim relief, but said the legality of the termination would be decided by the arbitrator.
The court's orders on the two petitions effectively means that the termination of Deccan Chargers' IPL membership would stand, according to legal circles.
The arbitrator, retired supreme court judge C K Thakker, had last week passed an order for status quo to be maintained following which BCCI had moved the High Court in appeal.
The Deccan Chargers had lost its place in the IPL on October 13 after the high court stayed the arbitrator's order for maintaining status quo in the matter till further hearing, while BCCI declared that the termination of the IPL franchise stands following the court's order.
A day after ending the Deccan Chargers' franchise, the BCCI had begun the process of finding a new IPL team inviting bids in respect of 12 cities -- Ahmedabad, Cuttack, Noida Dharamsala, Indore, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kochi, Nagpur, Rajkot, RanchI and Vizag.
The Deccan Chargers had lost its place in the IPL on October 13 after the high court stayed the arbitrator's order for maintaining status quo in the matter till further hearing, while BCCI declared that the termination of the IPL franchise stands following the court's order.
A day after ending the Deccan Chargers' franchise, the BCCI had begun the process of finding a new IPL team inviting bids in respect of 12 cities -- Ahmedabad, Cuttack, Noida Dharamsala, Indore, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kochi, Nagpur, Rajkot, RanchI and Vizag.
BCCI Counsel Raju Subramaniam argued "IPL season 6 is going to commence from April next year. There are several good international players from the Deccan Chargers team who will be left high and dry if they are not included in the auction list".
The BCCI Counsel argued that DCHL was given sufficient time to submit the bank guarantee of Rs 100 crore as directed by another judge of the High Court. He said "Justice Kathawala had kept DCHL and BCCI's interest in mind and asked them to submit bank guarantee if they wanted to participate in the IPL 6 season."
However, DCHL's failure to submit bank guarantee of Rs 100 crore of a nationalised bank allowed BCCI to initiate action in furtherance to the termination.
Senior counsel S U Kamdar, appearing for DCHL, told the court that the company, which is in financial difficulty, should be allowed to sell the team. "To help BCCI, the company decided to go out of IPL 6 by selling the team. But the cricket board has a problem with that also," he said.
Kamla Landmarc Realty, which had shown interest in buying the IPL franchise, submitted that no prejudice would be caused to BCCI if DCHL was allowed to sell the team and go out of the IPL 6.
Ratnakar Bank, which has lent Rs 55 crores to DCHL, urged the court to give DCHL a chance so that they can negotiate with prospective buyers for the IPL franchise instead of terminating the contract. If they are allowed to sell the franchise then the rights of lenders will be protected, Bank's Counsel Anjan Dasgupta submitted. ÂÂ
BCCI had on September 15 decided to terminate the contract at an emergency IPL Governing Council meeting in Chennai, which was challenged by DCHL in Bombay High Court.
The court had on October 1 ordered DCHL to furnish a bank guarantee of Es 100 crore, bear all expenses for IPL 6, including making payments to BCCI towards franchise, players and support team costs. Besides, it was asked to bear the costs of conducting matches and other expenses.
In the event of any default on part of DCHL, BCCI shall be entitled to invoke the bank guarantee to the extent necessary, Justice Kathawala had ruled.
The Deccan Chargers had failed to produce Rs 100-crore bank guarantee before the court on October 12, the condition set by the court for the team's continuance in the IPL, effectively meaning the end of the road for the beleaguered team.
The DCHL, however, approached the same day and secured an order that status quo be maintained. The arbitrator's order had prevented BCCI from going ahead with the termination.
Aggrieved, the Cricket Board then moved the Bombay High Court, which stayed the arbitrator's order on October 13, paving the way for the BCCI to go ahead with the termination of the franchise and invite bids for a new team.
(With PTI inputs)