BCCI disciplinary panel allows Modi representation

Mumbai, Jul 16 (PTI) In a departure from its memorandum
of the Indian Cricket Board's rules and regulations, the
Board's Disciplinary Committee Friday decided to allow
suspended Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi to be
represented by his legal counsel during the proceedings
against him.
This was in the wake of Modi's submission to the panel
through his attorney Mehmood M Abdi that he wanted to be
represented by his lawyer at the hearing as he was out of the
country.
The exception was given to Modi as the committee members
agreed with the views expressed by Modi's second counsel
Venkatesh Dhond that the charges against him were of a serious
nature and complex legal issues were involved, particularly in
relation to interpretation of the contract documents.
The three-member Committee, comprising Chirayu Amin, Arun
Jaitley and Jyotiraditya Scindia, also heard Dhond's arguments
at length on an earlier plea raised for recusal of its members
through two letters sent to the Board of Control for Cricket
in India on May 25 and July 6 and has decided to seek a
response from the Board.
Modi had asked for recusal of Amin and Jaitley from the
panel as he contended they would be biased against him during
the proceedings but his petition for reconstitution of the
panel was Thursday rejected by the Bombay High Court.
Dhond also wanted to file an additional plea in this
regard to substantiate the request for recusal of the panel's
members and the panel has decided to give him time till July
18, as per the minutes of the Disciplinary Committee
proceedings. More PTI