Modi's lawyer says yet to receive summons

CHENNAI: Lalit Modi's legal counsel today said that his client was yet to receive the summons issued by Chennai police on a complaint filed by BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan and that he would give a suitable response only after getting them.

Srinivasan had lodged a complaint against Modi alleging him with misappropriation of Rs 470 crore, mainly in allotting media rights and free commercial rights of the Twenty20 league.

"We have not received any summons and would react to it in a suitable manner once we get it. But this only shows the BCCI's backlash for the reverses suffered by the Board in the court over the disciplinary proceedings launched against Mr Modi," the former IPL chief's attorney Mehmood Abdi said.

Abdi was referring to the staying of the BCCI-initiated disciplinary proceedings by the Bombay High Court till January 11.

He maintained that Modi, who is overseas, would cooperate with the authorities as he has done thus far "within the framework of law and the limitations of his enhanced security concerns."

The Chennai police has summoned Modi and six others for questioning in the first week of January in connection with the complaint lodged by Srinivasan.

Besides Modi, others summoned by the Central Crime Branch of the Chennai police are Kunal Dasgupta, Venu Nair, Andrew Georgio, Seamus O'Brien, Harish Krishnamachar and Ajay Verma, according to a senior police official in Chennai.

"They have been summoned under CrPC sections 91 (to produce documents or other things) and 160 (power to require attendance of witnesses)," the official said.