Sourav Ganguly: Dada accepts owning 5% stake in ATK, dismisses conflict of interest claim

New Delhi: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly refuted allegations of conflict of interest filed against him by Niraj Gunde with the ombudsman.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Ganguly denied any involvement with New Rising Promoters Pvt. Ltd. that owns Rising Pune Supergiants. He also claimed to be unaware of the company's share-holding patterns.

However, Dada accepted to owning a 5% in the Indian Super League franchise Atletico de Kolkata that is owned by the promoters of the new Pune IPL franchise.

“As such the complaint has left me nonplussed. I am a partner with 6.67% share in ‘Catch 22 Informatics LLP’ a limited liability partnership which has about 75% share in Kolkata Games and Sports Pvt. Ltd. In other words my stake in Kolkata Games and Sports Pvt. Ltd is about 5%. However, I have no interest or stake in or connection with New Rising Promoters Pvt. Ltd. which bid at the auction held on December 8, 2016,” wrote Ganguly in an email to the ombudsman Justice AP Shah.

“Sealed bids had all been submitted on that day itself. I was away in London and returned that morning to Delhi and by the time I reached the venue of the meeting the technical bids were already opened by the lawyers appointed by BCCI,” he wrote.

Earlier having defended Ganguly, the board has now conveyed to the ombudsman of not being aware of his business interests.

“BCCI is unaware of the business links of Mr. Sourav Ganguly and this information could be obtained from him directly,” BCCI’s Ratnakar Shetty wrote.

Shetty though backed Ganguly’s claims of having arrived late for the meeting.

Gunde however feels that the percentage of the stake is immaterial and also went on to say that Ganguly did not disclose his business link with the Goenka group to the BCCI before the bidding process for two new IPL teams began.

“Even if he wasn’t present at the time the technical bids were opened, he was aware of who the five bidders were, and therefore should have disclosed that he had business links with one of them before the process was closed,” he said.