The Bombay High Court today issued a notice to BCCI seeking reply to a public interest litigation alleging the board's failure to pay over Rs 5 crore to police towards security provided for IPL matches played at D Y Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai in the 2010 season.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice N M Jamdar was hearing a PIL filed by one Santosh Pachalag claiming that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), owed Rs 5,17,73,238 to Navi Mumbai police.
"During the 2010 edition of IPL, six matches were played at the D Y Patil stadium between March 12 and April 25. In all, 3,345 police were deployed at the stadium. As Navi Mumbai police was short-staffed, personnel from Pune and Satara districts were also deployed," the PIL claimed.
The petition has sought direction to the police to recover the arrears, and argued that till then no security should be provided for the IPL matches to be played in Mumbai in this season.
The bench after issuing notice to BCCI has posted the matter for hearing on April 4.
{{/usCountry}}The bench after issuing notice to BCCI has posted the matter for hearing on April 4.
{{/usCountry}}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 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 stated.
It further alleged 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 recovering the arrears," the petition stated.