Rig to leak: BCCI throws the kitchen sink at Modi

On the last charge,Manohar said,“Confidential information of the Board has been leaked to the media. I have always maintained that the Board functions should remain within the four walls of this building.”

Manohar said Modi had also been suspended from all posts in the Board,including those of Vice-President,member of the Marketing Committee and Chairman of the Tours,Programmes and Fixtures Committee.

“There were a lot of allegations and counter-allegations made through the media and the Board decided to issue a show-cause notice and pending an enquiry,decided to suspend him,” Manohar told reporters at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

He added however,that it was not necessarily over yet for Modi,and if members were convinced by his reply — expected within 15 days — the proceedings against him would be dropped. “For a free and fair enquiry to be conducted,the person involved has to be kept away from the functioning of the Board and that is why he has been suspended,” Manohar said.

Modi maintained silence through the day,but some time after 7 in the evening,he posted messages of continuing defiance on Twitter.

“Had a restful day. Been in the spa all day. Much needed rest,” he tweeted. And,“Thank you all for your message of support. It is really appreciated. I am still chairman of IPL. Just suspended. Wait — we have just begun.”

At the news conference,Manohar was pushed on the back foot when asked if the Board had erred in vesting too much power in a single individual,the IPL Chairman. “Unfortunately,I have to say yes to that,” he replied.

He,however,added that the Board didn’t have a reason or the machinery to probe certain deals that had been brought to its notice by the I-T department and Enforcement Directorate. The Board wasn’t equipped to deal with cases like the alleged payment of a facilitation fee for the deal between MSM Singapore and WSG Mauritius,or allegations of benami funding in the Rajasthan franchise,he said.

“I cannot see whose funds are coming from where. Now Income-Tax and ED are investigating these matters and when they give us the notice,only then we’ll become aware of it,” Manohar said.

Manohar dismissed allegations against Poorna Patel — the IPL’s hospitality manager who has been accused of misusing the position of her father,Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel — and the family of Sharad Pawar,which has been accused of being involved in the bidding process.

Manohar said that Prof. Ratnakar Shetty,Chief Administrative Officer of the Board,has been asked to look into all records,as a number of documents were missing from the offices of both the Board and the IPL.

The Governing Council also appointed former India captains Ravi Shastri,Sunil Gavaskar and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi to look into the modalities of franchises retaining three foreign and four Indian cricketers for the next IPL season.