On a day when the IPL sank further into a morass of scandals, Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken revealed that his ministry had asked the finance ministry to probe allegations of the cricket league franchises using black money to regain or lure players from other teams.
Maken told the Lok Sabha on Monday that on May 18, sports secretary P?K?Deb wrote to his counterpart in the revenue department of the finance ministry, suggesting a “thorough inquiry” into the entire episode involving the alleged use of unaccounted money in the IPL for spot-fixing and other corruption in matches.
Maken’s announcement had serious implications. His ministerial colleague, Rajiv Shukla, who is minister of state for parliamentary affairs, is also the IPL commissioner.
In effect, Maken was accusing Shukla of running an operation that was tainted by black money. Adding irony to the gravity of the issue was Pranab Mukherjee tabling a white paper on black money. That made it a perfect kafkaesque day in Parliament.
“Let us leave it to the finance ministry to decide on that,” BCCI chairman Rajiv Shukla told Deccan Herald when his comments were sought on the sports ministry’s request to the finance ministry for a probe into the use of clack money in the IPL.
Shukla, however, sought to downplay Maken’s demand for bringing the BCCI under RTI, saying “he has been saying this for six months.”
The minister’s announcement was yet another blow to IPL, which, over the last week has been buffeted by charges of four IPL players suspended pending inquiry into charges of match fixing, one facing the charge of molesting a woman, and two landing in police net for attending a rave party featuring extensive use of alcohol and drugs.
“We have urged the revenue secretary to initiate an expeditious probe (into the entire episode), Maken said in the House, responding to members’ concerns over the reports of black money circulating in IPL. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was present in the House when Maken spoke.
The sports ministry had suggested to the revenue secretary to ask the income tax department and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to conduct an expeditious enquiry, Maken added.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already initiated an enquiry into the alleged spot-fixing in IPL after a sting operation conducted by a news channel highlighted it. It suspended five players recently from all matches till the preliminary probe is completed.
Maken asserted that the government had taken swift action on various issues involving IPL. As many as 19 notices had been issued to the IPL and the BCCI for violations of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to the tune of over Rs 1,077 crore and further actions were being taken on it.
On May 17, the sports ministry wrote to the enforcement directorate urging it to take early action in the matter. The ministry asked the ED to apprise it with the actions taken by it, he said.
The BCCI had been enjoying income tax exemption since 1996 on the ground of it being a charitable institution. In 2009, the IT department withdrew the exemption from retrospective effect and imposed tax liabilities of Rs 118 crore and Rs 257.12 crore for the fiscal 2007-08 and 2008-09 respectively.
“The income tax liability of Rs 118 crore for 2007-08 has been realised. Out of the total tax liability for 2008-09, Rs 131 crore have been realised and for the rest of the amount, the BCCI has gone to the tax tribunal and filed an appeal. The income tax department is contesting the case,” Ajay Maken said.
The minister, who earlier had made an unsuccessful attempt to introduce a Bill seeking to bring BCCI under Right to information (RTI) Act, reiterated his demand that the cricket board come under the purview of the law.
Maken’s reply, however, did not satisfy former cricketer and BJP member Kirti Azad, who raised the issue in the Lok Sabha during Zero hour. Kirti Azad, demanded an internal audit of the BCCI and other cricket associations in the country.
Demand transparency
Kirti Azad, who went on a day-long hunger-strike outside the Ferozshah Kotla stadium along with a few other former cricketers here on Sunday to demand transparency in the league, received support from JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, the BJP and Left members.
IPL players nabbed at rave party, let off after questioning
The city police on Monday released the two IPL cricketers - Rahul Sharma and Wayne Parnell (South Africa)- along with 94 others, picked for suspected consumption of banned hallucinogens at a private party held in a hotel in Mumbai’s elite sea-facing north-west suburb Juhu.
The party event manager Vishesh Vijay Handa has been taken into custody under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropics Substances Act 1985 (NDPS.)
The police on Monday claimed that the raid yielded 110 grammes of banned Cannabis from the terrace of the hotel, where the rave party was going on. However, tests were on to determine the generic specification of the seized substance.
Blood and urine samples were collected from the two IPL cricketers, who play for Pune Warriors. They were released on a personal bond after being questioned. The duo has vehemently professed innocence and denied any kind of ‘narcotics or substance abuse.’
Television actor couple Apurva and Shilpa Agnihotri, present at the party venue were also subjected to medical tests and grilled. The couple has also denied consumption of intoxicants or hallucinogens in the party. On Sunday night, police carried out what it termed ‘controlled operation,’ and swooped on Oakwood Premier Hotel with windows and terrace opening to a panoramic view of waves rolling down on Juhu beach.
The swoop, Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP)Vishwas Nangre Patil told the gathered media, was carried out on ‘a specific tip-off; and it was a controlled operation wherein a mole was planted inside the rave party.’ The raiding party found 96 revellers, allegedly high on drinks and other intoxicants. Of them, 38 were women, including 19 foreigners.
Interestingly, even as the swoop was to take place, media was informed in advance of a possible raid on a ‘bash taking place in a happening Juhu joint.;’While most of the revellers belonging to upper-crust were released on bail by noon, some of them were allowed to go late in the evening.
The police has not yet charged the revellers with any of the stringent and draconian NDPS sections, but ACP Patil said that ‘blood and urine samples collected from the detained persons have been tagged.’
Comments
Add new comment