New Delhi, April 20: Complications and controversies refuse to let go the Indian Premier League as a new revelation by the I-T department divulge the T20 league’s failure to submit two vital documents – the bid papers of the Videocon and Adani Groups.
It is known that the entire clash between IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi and Shashi Tharoor arouse mainly because of these two groups, that is, the Videocon and Adani, not being able to win the bid for Pune and Ahmedabad teams.
The Adani Group, a USD 5-billion Gujarat-based conglomerate, is headed by Gautam Adani, while Videocon, a USD 4-billion diversified group, is led by Venugopal Dhoot.
Sources in the government reveal that the I-T officials were purposely looking out for the papers of these two failed bids in all the files and reports given to them, but eventually failed to find any.
The I-T Sleuths claim that the absence of these documents is a major loophole on IPL’s part as it were these papers based on which the T20 League would try to establish the fairness in the bidding process. The missing files could serve as a link to involvement of Modi with Dhoot and Adani to purposely turn the first round of bidding, which was on March 7 in Mumbai, in their favour.
The IPL has imposed strict rules in the first round of bidding, that is, the team’s must have a bank guarantee worth USD 100 million and a net worth of USD 1 billion. It is said that these conditions were the main initiators of a conspiracy that worked in favour of these two big players and disqualified smaller bidders.
BCCI chief Shashank Manohar later dismissed these conditions and he asked for a fresh round of bidding. The second round on March 21, minus these two regulations, went all wrong for the Dhoots and Adanis