MUMBAI: Today the supreme court rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) to stay the IPL playoff matches until the completion of investigations of the alleged spot-fixing in the tournament. It has, however, given the BCCI a 15-day deadline to conclude its investigation, which is being carried out by cricket?s richest body?s anti-corruption unit head Ravi Sawani.

The supreme court also slammed the BCCI, saying that the spot fixing incidents had taken place due to its lackadaisical approach in reining in the erring players.

An apex court bench of justices B.S. Chauhan and Dipak Misra said that it was incumbent upon the BCCI to maintain and sustain the reputation of the 125-year-old game. The court said, "Definitely there is some kind of irregularity. But the biggest problem is the lackadaisical attitude of the BCCI. It should stop. There has to be some scientific dispassionate and impartial approach to solve these problems."

In its ruling, the court observed that cricket was a gentleman?s game and it should remain as gentleman?s, not tainted, at the same time though it also said that it was not a case for the court to ?interfere and ban matches?.

Social activist Sudarsh Awasti had filed the PIL. He had also sought that the court orders a special investigation team (SIT) probe into the scam.

NEW DELHI: Is the use of the word ?India? in the name of a private association or organisation illegal, unless used with prior sanction of the government?

This is the question that will come up for decision following two complaints filed against the use of ?India? in the name of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and in ?Team India?.

The complaints have been filed in Lucknow by social activists Amitabh and Nutan Thakur to the government under section 5 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1950. Both these complaints have been sent to the competent authority, director (Internal Trade Division), Department of Consumer Affairs.

The first complaint is about use of the word India in BCCI and the second about using words "Team India" for BCCI?s cricket teams.

The complainants say section 3 of this Act prohibits use of certain emblems and names, including the word India, without permission from the competent authority. BCCI is a private society under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 which always asserts its independence and vehemently denies any official control. Yet it repeatedly uses the word India which suggests the patronage and connection with the Government. Hence it should be punished under section 5 of the Act.

MUMBAI: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the supreme court. It wants a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the ongoing spot-fixing scandal.

The petitioner has asked for a stay on the tournament until the probe is complete.

The sixth edition of the IPL concludes on Sunday 26 May. Three players from the Rajasthan Royals franchise S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila were arrested on charges of spot fixing and are being questioned by the police.

The franchise will file an FIR against the three players. They were advised to do so by the BCCI which convened an emergency meeting. In a statement the franchise said, "We, along with the BCCI and other IPL franchises, take a zero tolerance approach to spot or game fixing. The impact on the game, our team, and our franchise has been devastating. It is critical that this evil is rooted out of the game, and as such we will be filing FIR?s with the Delhi police, based on the information provided. This will ensure that justice is pursued to its most complete end, and that the police are able to appropriately conduct their investigation. The reputational impact on the franchise, our players, our stakeholders, and the game has been immense. The actions must be punished."

The franchise also requested the media to show due restraint in the reporting of the events as it relates to its other players. The enforcement directorate (ED) reports indicate will also probe the spot-fixing case to find out if there was any money laundering involved.

Meanwhile the BCCI in damage control mode has decided that all cricketers? agents will now need to be accredited to the BCCI while an anti-corruption official of the board will be assigned to each IPL team.

In addition an anti-graft official will accompany the Indian cricket team to England for the Champions Trophy which kicks off on 6 June 2013.

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court today directed three public sector banks to deposit within 15 days a sum of Rs 4 billion with the Prothonotary and Master of Bombay High Court, who would then remit the money to the bank account of BCCI.

The BCCI had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court aggrieved by the Bombay High Court order that prevented it from invoking bank guarantees following the termination of contract with Nimbus Communications.

However, if the BCCI?s suit fails, the said sum would be returned along with interest. Three nationalised banks namely Punjab National Bank, Indian Bank and Union Bank of India had helped Nimbus to furnish un-conditional bank guarantee to the tune of Rs 16 billion to acquire the BCCI media rights.

The bank guarantees had been given to secure payment of dues by the Nimbus to the BCCI.

The BCCI had entered into Media Rights License Agreement (MRA) with Nimbus Communications for the period from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2014. In November 2011, the BCCI had terminated the MRA with Nimbus for default in payment and sought to encash the bank guarantees which were in the possession of BCCI.

However, the banks refused to pay the monies to the tune of Rs 16 billion under the unconditional bank guarantees. This compelled the BCCI to file summary suits against the three in the Bombay HC.

Much to the disappointment of BCCI, the Bombay HC granted the three banks leave to defend the suits on a condition that the banks deposit a sum totaling Rs 4 billion with the Prothonotary and Master of the Bombay HC, who would then redeposit the sums with the respective banks.

Earlier, Nimbus Communications was directed by the Bombay HC to secure the dues of BCCI by the way of bank guarantee. The order has not been complied by them and the Company faces contempt proceedings, the BCCI said.