WSG chief admits to receiving IPL kickbacks: Report

IPL broadcaster WSG has admitted to having accepted kickbacks from MSM, reports claimed Friday.

Zeecric Bureau

Mumbai: With the I-T department tightening its noose on the IPL, the billion dollar league’s murky financial dealings are coming to the fore. Reports claimed on Friday that World Sports Group has admitted to having accepted a whooping Rs 125 crore as kickbacks from Sony Multi Screen Media after the latter was awarded the IPL broadcast rights. A team of over 50 IT sleuths swooped on the premises of Multi Screen Media, Malad, the World Sports Group at Khar and Pat Magnarella Management in Bandra on Thursday morning and during the interrogation, WSG chief Venu Nair broke down and confessed that a ‘deal’ had indeed taken place. The confession holds importance as now the I-T department can establish a clear link to Sony World for having accepted ‘unethical money’ from the cash-rich league.More importantly, Sony World being a US based company, is under scrutiny of America’s stringent anti-corruption laws owing to which, the Indian investigators are likely to get crucial information about the IPL and the ‘big names’ attached with it in quick time.Income Tax (I-T) officials have conducted nation-wide raids at the offices of all IPL franchisees. The raids were conducted at the offices of the owners of Chennai Super Kings, Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils. They are expected to submit their report today. But Lalit Modi remains defiant. He is now reportedly planning to move court against BCCI’s decision to convene the Governing Council meet on April 26, despite him stressing that he needs time till May 1 to present his case.