HC asks BCCI to reply over non-payment of IPL dues

The Bombay High Court today rapped the Maharashtra government and BCCI for failing to reply to a public interest litigation regarding non-payment of over Rs 5 crore to the police for security provided for Indian Premier League (IPL) matches played in Navi Mumbai's DY Patil stadium in the previous seasons.

A division bench headed by Justice D D Sinha today got irked by the BCCI and state government's failure to file their reply to the PIL which was filed in April this year.

"On every hearing, time is sought to file reply but it is never filed. This is the last chance we are giving. If reply is not filed within two weeks then we will hear the petition and decide it on merits," Justice Sinha said.

The bench has directed BCCI and the state government to file its reply within two weeks. The PIL filed by one Santosh Pachlag claims that BCCI owes Rs 5,17,73,238 to Navi Mumbai police. "During the 2010 edition, six matches were held at the DY Patil stadium between March 12 and April 25. In all, 3,345 police personnel
were deployed at the stadium. As Navi Mumbai police was short-staffed, personnel from Pune and Satara districts were also deployed," the PIL claims.

The petition seeks direction to the police to recover the arrears. "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 claims.

It further alleges 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 recovery of the arrears," the petition states.