A plea has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the central government not to allow the Board of Control for Cricket in India to conduct Indian Premier League matches, scheduled to held across India from March 29 to May 24 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The PIL, filed by advocate G Alex Benziger, is likely to come up before a division bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Krishnan Ramaswamy on March 12.
"As on date, as per the website of the World Health Organisation, there was no specific medicine or to prevent or to treat the COVID-19," the petitioner said on Tuesday.
According to the petitioner, the coronavirus is spreading all over the world rapidly and creating a huge epidemic disaster.
On Tuesday, 12 more people across India tested positive for coronavirus -- six in Kerala and three each in Karnataka and Pune -- state authorities said as the total cases in the country went up to 59.
The Italian football league, one of the oldest leagues in the world, has been severely affected as several top flight matches are played behind closed doors with no fans allowed at any football ground until April 3 by the Italian government, the petitioner said.
The petitioner said he had sent a representation to authorities not to allow the BCCI to conduct matches in the forthcoming 13th edition of the IPL T20 league.
As there was no response, he filed the present plea, the petitioner added.