Over the last few days, IPL auctions have taken over the TV sets, as popular cricket players were bid by respective teams, for one of the most awaited cricket tournaments of the year. But the Bombay High Court stated that the game was only gaining popularity due to the money as young players focused on making more bucks than playing a game, eventually suggesting that IPL was “no more a clean entertainment” keeping the alleged violations of foreign exchange rules in mind.
Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi had filed a petition questioning the 2015 order regarding the in a FEMA case, where the ED refused permission to cross-examine the witnesses. Further, alleged violations were also reported regarding the foreign exchange rules keeping the 2009 IPL in mind. The above-mentioned statements were passed while a division bench comprising of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and Bharati Dangre were reviewing the case.
The court mentioned that “Young cricketers do not want to play for the country, but only want to earn INR five to ten crore in one tournament. The larger public interest is to defeat foreign exchange violations. Looking at the serious allegations, we feel IPL is no more a clean entertainment.”
Lalit Modi’s failure to return to India has raised questions regarding the issue. The court questioned senior counsel Aspi Chinoy if Modi would return to India to face the proceedings. However, Chinoy responded by demanding that Modi should be allowed to cross-examine witnesses in this case. argued that his fundamental rights would be violated if he was not allowed to cross-examine the witnesses.
The bench is now said to pass the order on the petition tomorrow.
The issue dates back to 2013, where the ED stated proceedings under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), against Modi, where, in 2009, BCCI and IPL authorities had allegedly opened a bank account, and a transaction of USD five crore were made to the bank account violation FEMA.
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