SC rejects Modi's independent probe plea

Updated on: 27 September,2011 08:33 AM IST |
IANS |

The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a petition by former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi seeking an independent inquiry into the allegations of financial irregularities against him.

Lalit Modi

An apex court bench of Justice J M Panchal and Justice H L Gokhale said that "a mere apprehension of bias cannot be a ground for interference. There must exist a real danger of bias."

Justice Gokhale said that Modi may have an apprehension but it was not possible to say from the material on record that "he was facing a real danger of bias."

The court said that "though such domestic inquiries have undoubtedly to be fair, a member of a society cannot stretch the principle of fairness to the extent of demanding a tribunal consisting of outsiders, on the basis that the society members are biased against him."

Modi had challenged the composition of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) disciplinary committee set up to probe allegations against him.

The three-member committee including Arun Jaitley, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and cricket administrator Chirayu Amin. Modi had contended that the committee was not free from bias as it included Amin, who along with the then cricketing board's president Shashank Manohar, had decided to hold inquiry against him.