Modi faction moves court against Pathan

Lalit Modi's faction in the RCA has filed a case in the Jaipur High Court against Amin Pathan, a vice-president of the association, and his aides for forcibly occupying the RCA offices and preventing bonafide office-bearers from entering it.

Pathan had allegedly "removed" Modi from RCA affairs on Saturday and said he had taken over as acting president, but Modi disputed the legitimacy of Pathan's group.

The BCCI, meanwhile, has preferred to adopt a "wait-and-watch" approach, and is in no hurry to recognise either of the two groups. It is understood that, given the complex nature of the case, BCCI officials have sought advice from the board's legal cell. The BCCI had suspended the RCA on May 6 after Modi was announced as its elected president, and according to the BCCI rulebook, the suspension of a member ceases to exist if it is not acted upon in six months. Last month, the BCCI disciplinary committee had deferred its hearing against RCA after Modi's faction raised several objections during a long meeting.

The dispute fuelled a series of allegations and counter-allegations in Jaipur on Wednesday. Mehmood Abdi, the deputy president of Modi's faction, filed a writ petition on Modi's behalf against Pathan and his aides. Besides apprising the commissioner of police about the situation, Abdi's group also held an executive committee meeting that was attended by Modi through video conference.

Pathan, on the other hand, told reporters that Modi's faction had paid Rs 1.06 crore to its lawyers, including Rs 60 lakh to Swadeep Hora, a key aide of Modi who was included to RCA's executive committee as a special invitee. Pathan claimed that the RCA rule book does not allow a person who is in an office of profit to enjoy financial benefits from the association.