High Court dismisses Lalit Modi's petition

The Bombay High Court has dismissed suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi's petition asking it to quash the BCCI's proceedings against him and appoint an independent panel to hear his case. The High Court heard arguments from both sides yesterday and issued its ruling today.

The decision means Modi is required to attend the disciplinary committee meeting to be held in Mumbai tomorrow. The committee had summoned Modi to appear before it to discuss the charges against him, which BCCI chief-executive Ratnakar Shetty expects him to do in the wake of the court's decision. "We don't take this verdict in terms of victory or defeat," Shetty told PTI. "We followed a procedure and it was challenged by Mr Modi in the court. The court has given its directive and he has to appear before the committee."

However Modi's lawyer, Mehmood Abdi, said his client will not be attending the meeting as he is out of the country. "Mr Modi is abroad and he would be represented by his duly authorised representative to plead to the requisition and reconstitution of the disciplinary committee."

According to Abdi, the division bench of Justices B H Marlapalle and Roshan Dalvi refused to enter into the merits or demerits of the case, but has placed the onus on the board to decide the composition of the disciplinary committee. "The High Court has put the ball in the court of the BCCI," Abdi told Cricinfo. "The BCCI will consider the demand for recusal at the [disciplinary committee] meeting tomorrow."

Modi has demanded the removal of interim IPL chairman Chirayu Amin from the panel, claiming he holds a grudge against Modi for revealing that he was part of a failed bid for one of the two new IPL franchises. During the hearing on Wednesday, Modi's lawyer Virag Tulzhapurkar argued board vice-president, Arun Jaitley, should not be on the panel either because he had voted to ratify the charges against Modi at the board's special general body meeting on July 3. The third member of the panel is Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Modi moved the High Court against the BCCI last week following the board's vote to ratify the charges against him and refer them to its disciplinary committee.

Modi was suspended immediately following the conclusion of IPL 3 and charged with financial irregularities relating to the bidding process for IPL franchises, the mid-over ad sales and the sale of theatrical rights. He was also charged with colluding to set up a rebel league in England.