Modi's lawyer submits reply to BCCI showcause

Suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi on Saturday responded to the first showcause notice served to him for alleged financial irregularities with a staggering 12,000-page reply which was carried into the BCCI headquarters in six large cartons.

Modi, who had got an extension of five days from May 10 deadline, submitted his reply through his lawyers, who brought in the papers in four cars amidst the media frenzy at the Cricket Centre, the Board's headquarters.

BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty received the papers and documents on behalf of the Board. Modi's lawyer Memmood S Abdi said the reply comprised of 12,000 pages but did not elaborate the content.

According to sources close to Modi, the suspended IPL commissioner has refuted all the five charges levelled against him by the BCCI.

The voluminous reply will now put the ball in BCCI's court as they first have to scrutinise the papers and then decide the future course of action after consulting their own lawyers.

A source said that Modi's reply has run into several thousand pages as it contained detailed response to all the charges and were supported with documents and brochures.

Modi was suspended on April 26, soon after the conclusion of the IPL-III final in Navi Mumbai by BCCI which sent him a show cause notice asking him to reply to a slew of charges relating to the conduct of the high-profile Twenty20 league.

Modi is accused of indulging in murky financial deals without the knowledge of the IPL Governing Council, bid-rigging and taking kickbacks from the TV rights and Internet deals.

Modi's problems were compounded when he was slapped with a second show cause notice by the Board for allegedly trying to provoke English counties to revolt against their parent body, the ECB, and start a parallel Twenty20 league.

Now the board's three-man disciplinary committee, comprising President Shashank Manohar and two vice-presidents - Arun Jaitley and Chirayu Amin, will take a decision on the matter. The panel is expected to meet in mid-June to decide on the issue.