The stage is set for the final legal battle between Zee Telefilms Ltd and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, for the telecast rights of cricket matches played in India during 2004-08, as the Supreme Court fixed Monday to hear the private television channel's petition.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice R C Lahoti said, "We will hear you on Monday," when Zee's senior advocate Harish Salve got up to mention the writ petition and special leave petition filed by the channel, challenging the BCCI's decision to annul the telecast rights contract earlier awarded to the petitioner.
Zee has requested the court to set aside the BCCI's decision to cancel the contract awarding telecast rights for cricket matches held in India between 2004 and 2008.
Saying that the contract for the telecast rights stands implemented with the payment of $20 million by it to the BCCI, Zee said it is fully equipped to cover the India-Australia cricket series starting from October 6.
The domestic channel also alleged that there was prior collusion between the BCCI and sports channel ESPN STAR, which led to the Board's sudden announcement about cancellation of the telecast contract to Zee and the sports channel's immediate withdrawal of the petition from the Bombay high court.
The Subhash Chandra-controlled channel requested the court that the BCCI should not grant the telecast rights to any other channel before adjudication of the dispute raised by it.
The respondents in the petition are the Union of India, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, secretary of the BCCI, ESPN STAR and PriceWaters Cooper Pvt Ltd.