IPL dues: HC says Maharashtra government may attach defaulters' properties

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today said that Maharashtra government should consider taking legal action against those cricket associations, who have defaulted on arrears to the police for providing security cover during the IPL matches, if they failed to pay the dues by April 18.

A division bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A P Bhangale was today told by the state government that dues of around Rs 9 crores was pending.

These IPL matches were held during 2010-11. The Vidarbha Cricket Association has to pay Rs 2,42,78,373 for the security given during three matches held in 2010. Sunder Raman, COO of IPL has to pay Rs 5,93,71,364 and the Maharashtra Cricket Association has arrears upto Rs 4,13,445, additional government pleader Sameer Patil said.

"We expect compliance by the associations by the next date of hearing. Instead of challenging it, they should gracefully accept and pay the amount. It is not a big amount anyways. In case of non-payment, the state government may consider taking steps as permissible in law to recover the amount," Justice Khanwilkar said.

The bench said that the law also permits the government to attach properties of the defaulters, to which Patil said the option would be considered.

The matter has now been posted for hearing on April 18.

The court was hearing a petition filed by one Santosh Pachlag seeking direction to the government to recover the dues immediately.

Meanwhile, one more petition was filed today by a city-based NGO 'Aam Aadmi Lok Manch' challenging the public auctioning of players.

According to the petition, auctioning of human beings was arbitrary and violative of the International Law of Human Rights under the UN Charter. The petition sought direction to BCCI to refrain from auction of the players.

The bench posted the matter for April 25.