By IANS,
Mumbai : Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi Tuesday was granted an anticipatory bail by a sessions court here in a cheating case.
Jaipur-based social organisation Nagrik Morcha had filed a FIR against Modi, who is also the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) president, alleging that he misappropriated Rs.60 million meant for disbursement among Jaipur serial blast victims.
Modi had assured the organisation that Rs.60 million from the proceeds of the IPL match on May 17 last year would be donated to the serial blast victims. He has been charged with embezzlement.
The FIR under sections 420 and 467 of IPC was lodged at the Jyoti Nagar police station in Jaipur on the complaint of Sandeep Batra, convener of the Nagrik Morcha.
Judge A. P. Devore Tuesday granted Modi anticipatory bail for four weeks.
A statement from the IPL said that senior counsel Amit Desai and Pranav Badheka, appearing on behalf of Modi, informed the court that the FIR is “politically motivated and the complaint has been filed by a meddlesome interloper who has no connection with the applicant.”
Counsel told the court that of Rs.6 billion, Rs. 5.20 billion have already been donated to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. But two sponsors who had voluntarily agreed to donate Rs.4 million each did not do so. As such Modi in no way can personally be held liable to pay the donation amount.