I signed Kochi bid under pressure: Lalit Modi | Zee News
New Delhi: Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chief
Lalit Modi on Wednesday said he signed the
Kochi franchise bid under pressure.
"I signed the Kochi bid under pressure minutes," Modi tweeted on Wednesday.
Along with the tweet he attached a letter where details of the insights of the meeting during the Kochi bid on April 11, 2010 at 12 a.m. were mentioned.
According tho the letter, the persons present at the meeting were, Lalit Modi (Chairman IPL), Akhila Kaushik (Legal Advisor, BCCI), Sundar Raman (COO,IPL), Shailendra Gaikwad (Rendevouz Sports world Pvt Ltd), Mehul Shah (Anchor Earth Pvt Ltd), Chintan Vora (Anchor Earth Pvt Ltd), Vipul Shah (Parinee Developers & Properties Pvt Ltd), Saket Mehta (Anand Shyam Estates & Developers Pvt Ltd), Kailash Singhal (Filmwaves Combines Pvt Ltd), Vivek Venugopal and Keshav P T (Filmwaves Combines Pvt Ltd).
The minutes of the meeting with bidder of Kochi Franchise as given by Modi are as follows.
The meeting was called to validate and authenticate the bid documents related to the Kochi Franchise (unincorporated JV) bid. The documents submitted on the day of tender opening in Chennai was found to restrict the liability of the owners in the shareholders agreement and the chairman had asked for submission of all valid documents in the presence of all owners.
The Chairman stated to the consortia of owners present that he had received a call from Shashi Tharoor, union minister of state for external affairs, asking him not to probe into the identity of Sunanda Pushkar, one owners listed in the shareholders agreement.
The Chairman stated it is the responsibility of the BCCI-IPL to ascertain the identity of all the owners in order to maintain the integrity of the league and that of BCCI. He went on to ask the following to Gaikwad, one of the owners of the consortia
Declare the identity of the owners listed - Puja Gulati, Sandeep Aggarwal, Vishnu Mohan Prasad and Sunanda Pushkar. Gaikwad replied Sunanda Pushkar was a family friend living in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. She is a housewife and that her husband is in the auto industry. He also said one of the others was a friend from Silicon Valley and also mentioned Puja has done her MBA. However he did not know any more details and assured he will send an e-mail with the details within 24 hours.
The Chairman further probed if there were any direct or indirect ownerships or connection for any of the owner members with any politicians, current or past sportsmen. Gaikwad in reply called his father on the phone to clarify the same and responded stating that his father said he would call him back with the details.
Within a couple of minutes, the Chairman received a call from Shashi Tharoor on his mobile phone asking why he was asking the connection link of the owner related to Pushkar.
The chairman though did not have to respond, informed Tharoor that it is BCCI-IPL`s regulations to check the credibility of all investors and will further investigate if there was any linkages with any unidentified investors. He said if any of the owners were found to have any linkages, the BCCI-IPL will have the absolute rights to terminate the agreement under the clauses as applicable in the ITT.
The chairman further advised the consortia members that the details related to player regulation, retention and home ground for the Kochi franchise will be briefed at a later time
The chairman signed the agreement reserving all rights to exercise as per the ITT and franchise agreement.
IANS
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Lalit Modi row: Is game over for Vasundhara Raje following fresh exposé? | Zee News
On Wednesday, the Congress released a signed statement that was submitted in a UK court in 2011 and in which Raje supports any immigration application by Modi.
As per the documents released by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh yesterday, Raje - in the witness statement submitted in the UK court in 2011 - had backed the immigration plea of Lalit Modi contending she had no doubt that the frontal attack he was facing in India then was "politically motivated".
"Given my close understanding of, and involvement in Indian politics, I have absolutely no doubt that the broad, full frontal attack that Lalit is currently facing in India is politically motivated," she had said in her witness statement before the British authorities.
She insisted that the Congress party was "destroying" and "discrediting" Modi.
"In the course of doing so by virtue of my association with him, they hope to politically discredit me as well," she said in the witness statement given on August 18, 2011.
The Rajasthan Chief Minister said the information contained in the statement was "true, correct and accurate" to the best of her knowledge and belief.
The statement had a 'confidentiality notice', insisting that it is provided on the "strict understanding that its contents and the identity of its maker are treated confidentially and that it is used only for the purposes stated in it".
"I make this statement in support of any immigration application that Lalit Modi makes, but do on a strict condition that my assistance will not become known to the Indian authorities," Raje, who gave this undertaking as the then Opposition Leader of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, said.
In the statement, Raje said she was also aware that Modi, in the context of his role as IPL founder and chairman, had major run-ins with prominent Central government ministers.
"I will not comment upon those conflicts as they have never involved me directly. What is clear, however, is that they have only served to exacerbate Lalit's difficulties with the ruling Congress party," she said in her witness statement.
After releasing the document, the Congress yesterday said that Raje stood "exposed completely" while batting for a "fugitive".
It further accused Raje of "repeatedly lying" and demanded her immediate resignation.
"The curtains are off, the secret is out. The document signed by Vasundhara Raje dated August 18, 2011 supporting his immigration case before the British government is out. When the issue came out first, she feigned ignorance and then said she does not remember," Ramesh told reporters at an AICC briefing.
"BJP has always maintained that if papers are produced with her signature, then she is culpable. There is no need of any more evidence, Vasundhara Raje stands thoroughly exposed," Ramesh said.
Ramesh said the Congress seeks her immediate resignation as she has broken four laws - Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Corruption Act, PMLA, Passport Act, while batting for a "bhagora" (fugitive).
Displaying the seven-page document having 21 points, he said, "This has never happened in independent India before where a former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition has batted for a fugitive".
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ramesh said, "The government which advocates propriety and zero tolerence to corruption should immediately seek her resignation. The Prime Minister who used to speak so much on these issues one year back has been silent and has gone into a shell".
With the Lalit Modi controversy snowballing into a bigger row by the day, Ramesh also demanded the resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who had helped Modi secure travel documents for him in the UK.
The BJP reacted with caution, with its spokesperson Sambit Patra saying the party "will not run away" from the issue and look into the new disclosure.
"We will not run away... The party will do whatever is necessary to see to it that truth comes out in the open," Patra said.
Sources meanwhile said the BJP has given Raje an ultimatum of 24 hours to explain he rolw following the fresh expose.
(With Agency inputs)
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Vasundhara Raje admits signing statement in favour of Lalit Modi: Reports | Zee News
New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Thursday reportedly admitted to the top
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership that she supported former IPL chief Lalit Modi's immigration application in the UK along with a condition that the same should not be revealed before the Indian authorities, sources told
Zee Media.
As per sources, Raje admitted that she signed a statement submitted in the UK court in 2011, which said she backed any immigration plea of the former IPL commissioner.
"In the course of doing so by virtue of my association with him, they hope to politically discredit me as well," she said in the witness statement given on August 18, 2011.
The Rajasthan Chief Minister said the information contained in the statement was "true, correct and accurate" to the best of her knowledge and belief.
The statement had a 'confidentiality notice', insisting that it is provided on the "strict understanding that its contents and the identity of its maker are treated confidentially and that it is used only for the purposes stated in it".
"I make this statement in support of any immigration application that Lalit Modi makes, but do on a strict condition that my assistance will not become known to the Indian authorities," Raje, who gave this undertaking as the then Opposition Leader of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, said.
In the statement, Raje said she was also aware that Modi, in the context of his role as IPL founder and chairman, had major run-ins with prominent Central government ministers.
Lalit Modi, who is facing probe by Enforcement Directorate, is in news following revelations that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj helped him get a travel document in London.
