BCCI treasurer Chaudhary questions Karim’s UK visit
The Committee of Administrators (CoA), which often questions BCCI office bearers’ foreign visits, was on Monday put in a tight corner after treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry raised questions with regards to GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim’s impending tour of UK.
Chaudhry has asked the reasons for sanctioning Dearness Allowance (DA) of
USD 4050 for a period of nine days for Karim and sought supporting documents for the visit.
Karim’s Dearness Allowness per day is INR Rs 30,000 per day (approximately), which is exclusive of the hotel tariff. The treasurer, in his e-mail to the CoA has also drawn a parallel with how the administrators had stopped secretary’s UK visit during the T20 series, citing that he won’t add any value.
“I have received an e-mail for signing a letter to be sent to Thomas Cook for the release of foreign exchange to Syed Saba Karim for his DA of an amount equal to USD 4,050 for his proposed visit to the UK for a period of 9 days,” the treasurer wrote.
The treasurer said that even though he would be signing Karim’s sanctioned DA bill but he had four specific questions for Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji.
“Firstly, the supporting documents that show the purpose of his visit to the UK and the decision-making process thereof and any invitation from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) or any communication to the ECB prior to the approval regarding the same.
Lastly, “the possibility that if there was any such travel recently, could such staff person travelling, not have done the work that Karim may be travelling for?”
Srinivasan’s plea dismissed
The Madras High Court today dismissed a plea by former BCCI president N Srinivasan against the Enforcement Directorate’s proceedings against the Board for alleged violation of the FEMA Act during the Indian Premier League team-season 2 conducted in South Africa in 2009.
Justice T Raja passed the dismissal order, paving way for the ED to continue with its proceedings. The judge said the issue had already been dealt by a division bench of the Bombay High Court which had settled the issue and added that the petitioner cannot “agitate it again before this court.”
On May 31, concluding its inquiry, the ED slapped a penalty of over Rs 121 crore on the BCCI, Srinivasan, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and others for alleged FEMA violation during the 2009 IPL.
As per the ED’s May 31 order, the BCCI is liable to pay Rs 82.66 crore, Srinivasan Rs 11.53 crore, Lalit Modi Rs 10.65 crore, former BCCI treasurer Pandove Rs 9.72 crore and the State Bank of Travancore (now merged with the SBI) Rs 7 crore.