Centre had smelt a rat before IPL row erupted

NEW DELHI: The government had ample information about the murky dealings of the Indian Premier League before it erupted on April 12.

Four days after the controversy spilled out in the open, CPI leader D Raja had served notice a calling-attention on the crisis triggered by ``the IPL situation’’ in the Rajya Sabha.

He had submitted two notices for calling attention on April 16, the second one being the one on the hazards of the discovery of radio-active materials. While the second notice was accepted, the first was not, even though the finance ministry had prepared a detailed reply to the calling attention motion on the IPL controversy.

Mr Raja chose not to push it either, even though, when contacted by ET, he maintained that he would have sought a probe into the IPL funding had discussion on the motion been allowed by the Rajya Sabha chairman.

The finance ministry’s reply, based on the initial findings of CBDT, had admitted that there were irregularities in the financing pattern of the IPL franchisees. It had also admitted that IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi’s role in the entire affair was not above board.

The report found fault with most commercial bids, disclosing that in most cases, the bank guarantee clause — a routine practice — was foregone for strange reasons.

The parties thus could bid through numerous fronts, and the IPL Commissioner was aware of the bidding processes all along. The report also detected irregularities in other areas too, including awarding telecast rights on the IPL matches and overseas television rights.