Now I Will Sue All In UK, Then See The Fun - Lalit Modi Says Truth Had Prevailed After HC Terms Facilitation Fees Was Not Illegal
Published - 20 Mar 2022, 06:40 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:06 AM
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has been vindicated after the Bombay High Court set aside an arbitral award in favour of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the BCCI-World Sports Group India (WSGI)-Multi Screen Media (MSM, Sony) IPL broadcast rights case calling it a perverse award.
The High court also declared that the much-maligned Facilitation Fee, which led to Modi’s ouster from the IPL and BCCI, was not illegal. Lalit Modi now lives in the UK in exile and declared that ‘truth has prevailed.’
Justice BP Colabawala ruled that the WSGI, which initially held the IPL rights for 2008-17, helped BCCI earn Rs 1791 crore more and acted in the interest of the BCCI. The court also declared that the Rs 425-crore Facilitation Fee was a bona fide clause in the tripartite agreement among the BCCI-WSGI-MSM.
This is contrary to BCCI’s claims that only Modi was aware of it, the court said all parties had full knowledge of it. The facilitation fee was an amount that MSM (Sony) was to pay to WSG (Mauritius) or WSGM.
Time Is A Factor, I Single-Handedly Built The IPL: Lalit Modi
Lalit Modi was banned from being involved in the sport for life by the BCCI in 2010. The BCCI had actually contended that the Facilitation Fee was a fraud committed on it and it is entitled to the Rs 425 crore.
“Time is a factor, I single-handedly built the IPL. Not that I care but the BCCI banned me for life. Guess what I made recession (economic slowdown of 2008) Modi proof. Mark my words it will be a global showpiece from India. It will be a big entertainment property globally. And I did it free of cost for my country to watch on TV.
The sad part is the petty members, who live off my creation, are so scared of my shadow that they even refused entry to my children on a paid ticket. Only question now is what will media say – fugitive? Go ahead try. Now I will sue all in UK, then see the fun (sic),” Modi told Cricbuzz on Sunday (March 20).
After the IPL 2010, the BCCI had suspended Modi on 22 charges, including bypassing the governing council while taking decisions, not following proper processes, bid-rigging, awarding contracts to his friends, accepting kickbacks on a broadcast deal, selling franchises to members of his family, betting and money laundering.
Modi believed that N Srinivasan, who later became the BCCI President, had masterminded his ouster from BCCI.
