No decision on Modi recusal issue

The BCCI's disciplinary committee has adjourned Sunday's hearing without ruling on the removal of interim-IPL chairman Chirayu Amin and BCCI vice-president Arun Jaitley from the committee. Suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi has repeatedly asked for the two men to be replaced on the panel, claiming they are biased against him.

According to Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi, the committee has finished hearing all arguments for and against the removal of Jaitley and Amin. "There will be no further hearing on the issue of recusal and no date has been fixed for the decision," Abdi said. "The panel has legal luminary like Jaitley and I think the committee will take a decision after considering all the arguments counter arguments and rejoinder by both the parties."

According to a press release issued by the BCCI, the committee will notify both sides when it takes its decision but did not set a date for its next meeting. Abdi also said the issue of having a retired Supreme Court judge on the committee was discussed again, but that would have to wait until the committee decides whether or not to reconstitute the panel.

The committee also discussed whether one of Modi's lawyers, Venkatesh Dhond, would be called as a witness during the proceedings, and if so, whether he would then need to recuse himself from representing Modi. The issue arose because the documents supplied by the BCCI to Modi's lawyers after the last hearing contained a page with hand-written corrections by Dhond. However, the board's lawyer, PR Raman, said that would not be necessary

"Mr. Raman clarified that it was the intention of the BCCI to rely [on] these documents is to refute the statement of Mr. Lalit Modi that by the aforesaid mentioned letter, extension was granted to WSG Mauritius on the advice of Ms. Akhila Kaushik, whereas it was Mr. Dhond who has advised on this," the release said. "Mr. Raman clarified that they do not intend to call Mr. Dhond as a witness in this case since the document is admittedly written by Mr. Dhond which Mr. Dhond has accepted."

Modi did not attend the meeting via video conferencing despite saying he was willing to do so. However, shortly after the meeting began, he wrote on Twitter that he "just ‎heard that BCCI want my lawyers to recuse themselves! Shocked since meeting was for committee's recusal." He followed that up by questioning the manner in which the enquiry was being conducted, saying, "People party to all decisions don't want to recuse themselves. But want my team who are presenting my case too. Is this how an enquiry is done?"

This is the third hearing conducted by the disciplinary committee that is investigating the allegations against Modi. The committee has until October 26 to submit its recommendations to the board. The BCCI suspended Modi immediately following the conclusion of IPL 3 in April and charged him 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.