No e-auction of IPL media rights as SC rejects Subramanian Swamy’s plea

MUMBAI: In a major relief for the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI), the Supreme Court today rejected BJP leader Subramanian Swamy’s plea seeking direction to the board for conducting e-auction of IPL media rights.

The three-judge bench of the Apex court comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chadrachud, while hearing on Swamy’s appeal, refused to direct the board on the tender process.

Swamy was seeking SC to direct BCCI to conduct e-auction, so that the process could be made “more transparent”.

SC had asked the Vinod Rai-headed Committee of Administrators (COA) to submit an affidavit on how the physical option is better than the e-auction.

While arguing on behalf of COA, senior advocate Parag Tripathi presented on Monday that BCCI’s tender process is a “better option” as all the bidders put their best bid in a sealed envelope to get the media rights.

Earlier, BCCI had to postpone auction to September 4 after the court asked Rai to file reply by Monday.

Meanwhile, the top court has allowed Swamy to file an interim application on “conflict of interest” and an “alleged collusion” between Rajiv Shukla, IPL chairman, who also owns news channel, and Star India.