BCCI to press criminal charges on Modi

The BCCI on Saturday threw its weight behind Secretary N Srinivasan and rejected suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi’s allegations that the senior official fixed the 2009 players’ auction. BCCI President Shashank Manohar told reporters after the Working Committee meeting in Mumbai that Modi’s accusations against Srinivasan,who owns the Chennai Super Kings team,were “blatant lies”.

“I can produce papers which prove that the charges levelled by Mr Modi against Mr Srinivasan are blatant lies,” Manohar said. BCCI chief Manohar also said he was yet to decide when to press criminal charges against Modi as authorised by the Board’s EGM on July 3. “I will decide when to press criminal charges against Mr Modi. The only other matter taken up today at the meeting was the annual accounts ahead of next month’s AGM,” the Board chief said.

Meanwhile,Lalit Modi’s lawyer hit out at Manohar for calling Modi a “liar” and said his client had not made any accusations of fixing playe’’s auction against BCCI secretary N Srinivasan. “Very unfortunate to hear such an intemperate expression by BCCI president Shashank Manohar calling Lalit Modi a liar,whereas Mr Modi has not said anything,” Modi’s lawyer Mehmood Abdi said.