PIL seeks CBI probe in Kochi IPL row

The Shashi Tharoor-Lalit Modi stand-off over the Kochi IPL team reached the Supreme Court on Tuesday with a petition seeking a CBI probe into the Union Minister's alleged proxy stakes in the Rs 1533-crore franchise, won by a consortium, Rendezvous Sports World.

Alternatively, the petition urged the apex court to constitute a special investigation team to probe the allegations.

The petitioner Ajay K Agrawal, an advocate, contended that the Minister of State for External Affairs had used his official position to help get 19 per cent of the stakes, pegged around Rs 70 crore, free to Sunanda Pushkar, whom Tharoor has reportedly decided to marry.

Agrawal said he would make a plea before the apex court on Thursday seeking early hearing of the petition.

IPL Commissioner Modi had on Sunday disclosed the names of the free equity holders, including Pushkar, in Rendezvous Sports World (RSW), which coughed up approximately Rs 1533 crore to bag the Kochi franchise.

Tharoor had all along denied having a stake in the Kochi franchise, saying he played merely a facilitator's role.

In a lengthy rejoinder today, Tharoor denied calling Modi and requesting him not to disclose details of RSW stakeholders.

In a statement, Tharoor trained his guns on the powerful cricket board official alleging various attempts were made by Modi and others to pressure the members of the consortium to abandon their bid in favour of another city in a different state.

According to reports, Ahmedabad was being mentioned as the other city.

Miffed by the disclosure, RSW threatened to send a legal notice to Modi and accused the IPL Commissioner of breaking the confidentiality terms. The Kochi franchise has also complained to BCCI president Shashank Manohar about Modi's indiscretion.

Modi claimed there was pressure on him not to reveal the details of who all own Rendezvous.