Bombay High Court Dismisses Lalit Modi's Petition Against BCCI

The Bombay High Court has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on former cricket administrator Lalit Modi, dismissing his petition against the BCCI for indemnification over a Rs 10.65 crore penalty by the ED. The court termed the plea as 'frivolous and misconceived'.

The Bombay High Court has dismissed a petition filed by former cricket administrator Lalit Modi, imposing a cost of Rs 1 lakh on him. Modi had sought an order directing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to pay a penalty of Rs 10.65 crore levied by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

A division bench comprising Justices M S Sonak and Jitendra Jain called the petition 'frivolous and wholly misconceived.' Modi's plea claimed that the BCCI should indemnify him based on its bylaws, as he served as vice president and chairman of the IPL governing body, a BCCI subcommittee. However, the court referred to a 2005 Supreme Court judgment indicating that the BCCI is not a 'State' under Article 12 of the Constitution of India.

Besides, the court emphasized that the reliefs sought were entirely misconceived and highlighted that no writ against BCCI could be issued, as it did not involve any public function. Consequently, the High Court directed Modi to contribute Rs 1 lakh to Tata Memorial Hospital within four weeks.

(With inputs from agencies.)