Updated on
Summary
Offices of a number of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises were raided by police, Indian media said on Wednesday, amid the growing IPL corruption saga. Punjab, Kolkata, Chennai and Rajasthan franchises were reportedly raided by police. It was also reported that Indias Enforcement Directorate (ED) will inquire into the unauthorised transfer of foreign funds in the IPL, after registering a case against the cash-rich cricket league. A report in Indian daily The Hindu quotes ED officials as saying that funds from abroad, without the permission of RBI, might have trickled in to the IPL. There have been reports that funds from tax havens like Mauritius have been pumped into the league by various franchises in violation of legal provisions, the report adds. Meanwhile, vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Ravi Shukla said that the BCCIs governing council meeting will take decision on the on-going IPL saga while keeping in mind the image and welfare of the board. Modi wants to postpone the meeting of the governing council.The Press Trust of India news agency reported on Wednesday that Modi was questioning the legality of the meeting on the ground that only he can convene it as the IPL commissioner. Modi could not be immediately reached for comment. The meeting is scheduled for April 26 after uproar by politicians and lawmakers prompted the Indian government to initiate an investigation. The investigation will primarily be concentrated into the financing of the IPL after allegations of corruption emerged recently. PTI quoted unidentified sources as saying that Modi has told the BCCI that he would not be able to attend Monday's meeting as he needed more time to prepare himself to respond to any questions relating to the funding and the ownership pattern of the eight franchises. Modi is facing a probe into accusations of money laundering but has received support from owners of the IPL teams. Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who is the co-owner of the Rajasthan team said Modi should not be judged guilty until proven. Shetty said that the media and politicians should refrain from jumping to conclusions about Modi without proof.
