BCCI files petition in HC to vacate stay on Dalmiya showcause

Kolkata, Mar 13 (UNI) Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court challenging a city court order staying all proceedings on the show-cause notice issued to its former president Jagmohan Dalmiya by the cricket board.

The petition was filed in the last hour of the day and is likely to come up for hearing on Thursday.

An attempt to file the petition in a Division Bench of the High Court earlier in the day failed as various benches of the court were closed owing to the death of two lawyers in an accident on Saturday.

Meanwhile, it is been learnt that Mr Dalmiya had already filed a caveat in the case.

BCCI lawyer Ankur Chawla told UNI, ''Our only motive is to get justice and not go around it. If Mr Dalmiya is innocent then why is is stalling the internal proceedings of the Board. Let it work democratically. This is our contention.'' ''Besides, its an ex-parte order passed on March 8. The honourable court needs to hear both the sides and take a decision,'' he said.

The city civil court had passed a stay order on the showcause notice served to Mr Dalmiya by the Indian Cricket Board.

Sixth division bench judge Probir Kumar Sarkar of the City Civil Court had passed the judgement in Mr Dalmiya's favour following a move made by his lawyers -- Siddhartha Shankar Ray, A Chatterjee and A Banerjee.

Mr Dalmiya, who is now Cricket Association of Bengal President, was accused of financial bunglings and was at the receiving end of the ire of BCCI Vice President Lalit Modi and former board President IS Bindra who had a barrage of allegations against him.

Both of them had asked Mr Dalmiya to furnish documentation regarding handling of account of PILCOM, the organising committee for the 1996 World Cup co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Mr Dalmiya, however, got a reprieve in the case when a city court in Kolkata gave a stay on the showcause notice served by the BCCI.

The three-page showcause issued to Mr Dalmiya asked him to explain, within 15 days, why action should not be taken against him for 'irregularities' pertaining to PILCOM accounts.

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