PIL against BCCI for recovery of dues owed to police for IPL

A PIL has been filed in the Bombay High Court against organisers BCCI for failure to pay over Rs five crore to police for security.

Mumbai: Three days before the start of 2012 season of Indian Premier League (IPL), a public interest litigation has been filed in the Bombay High Court against organisers BCCI for failure to pay over Rs five crore to police for security provided for matches played in Navi Mumbai`s D Y Patil stadium in the previous seasons.

Petitioner Santosh Pachalag claims that BCCI owes Rs 5,17,73,238 to Navi Mumbai police. "During the 2010 edition, six matches were held at the D Y Patil stadium between March 12 and April 25. In all, 3,345 police personnel were deployed at the stadium. As Navi Mumbai police was short-staffed, personnel from Pune and Satara districts were also deployed," the PIL, likely to come up for hearing this week, states. A circular dated January 14, 2010 of Additional Director General (Administration) of Maharashtra police had directed all police commissioners and district superintendents of police to recover security expenses during matches from BCCI. "Navi Mumbai police, on November 8, 2010, sent a bill of Rs 5,65,26,238 to BCCI. However the cricket body paid only Rs 47,53,000, stating that it had paid the Nagpur police only this much and hence would not pay more," the petition claims. It further alleges that the deputy commissioner of police of Navi Mumbai had till May 2011 written letters to BCCI seeking payment of the arrears, but in vain. "After that even the police have kept quiet and not taken any steps for recovery of the arrears," the petition states. "Several offences were also registered against the organisers after the IPL matches for causing public nuisance and noise pollution. Nothing is being done regarding these offences also," the petition states. The petition seeks direction to the police to recover the arrears, and says till then no security should be provided for the upcoming IPL matches which are to begin from April 4. PTI