No witch-hunt against Dalmiya: BCCI secretary

Indian cricket board said that allegations of serious nature needed to be probed to unearth the truth.

Indian cricket board on Monday denied former chief Jagmohan Dalmiya's charge that a witch-hunt was being carried out against him and said that allegations of serious nature needed to be probed to unearth the truth.

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"There is no question of any witch-hunt against anybody. During Dalmiya's tenure also lot of investigations were conducted against several BCCI members. When allegations of such serious nature have been made, they need to be probed. If nothing comes out, then that will be the end of it," BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said.

Shah clarified that Boria Majumdar, the author of the BCCI commissioned 'Social History of Indian Cricket' had been paid Rs 33 lakhs and not Rs 52 lakhs as was alleged by Board Vice-President Lalit Modi earlier.

Shah said though the BCCI Working Committee had okayed the amount to be paid to the author, it needed to be seen "whether the work was worth the exorbitant amount."

On Dalmiya's charge that the board has lost Rs 81.40 crores following the recent four-year global media rights deal signed by it, Shah said, "the bid was done in a very transparent manner, we will give him all the documents."

Shah said that the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) had written to him on the issue. "We will give them a reply soon along with all relevant documents."