HC to sort WC passes row

The row over the number of complimentary passes for the four world cup cricket matches to be played at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground will be heard in the Delhi high court on Friday.

The row over the number of complimentary passes for the four world cup cricket matches to be played at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground will be heard in the Delhi high court on Friday.

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Jai Karan Singh, one of the oldest members of the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA), had challenged the “arbitrary ways” of the association's executive committee in issuing complimentary tickets and sought a ceiling on it.

Justice Sunil Gaur on Thursday sent the matter for an out-of-court settlement between Singh and the executive committee.

The court felt both sides needed to sit and decide as to the minimum number of free passes that could be permitted.

Appearing for Singh, lawyers Harish Malhotra and Tanuj Khurana referred to the judgment of the Kerala high court which recently upheld a Supreme Court order that said distribution of free passes needed to be more transparent and their numbers specified.

The counsels said the executive committee members issued free passes “at their whims and fancy for getting personal benefits not connected with the promotion of game of cricket”.

In its reply, the executive committee denied issuing free passes and it was only in response to certain “firm commitments”.

It said the question of having its own interest in issuing passes did not arise.

The committee defended free tickets to officials of government and civic agencies saying they had to be “rewarded” in some way for their cooperation and support in holding the matches and they included certain officials of the Delhi government, MCD, traffic police and fire department.