Respite for Dalmiya, BCCI defers Disciplinary Committee hearing

New Delhi, July 26 (UNI) Former board president Jagmohan Dalmiya can breath easy after BCCI agreed to defer his hearing before the Disciplinary Committee, which was originally scheduled here for today.

Mr Dalmiya was summoned to appear before the BCCI Disciplinary Committee, featuring president Sharad Pawar and the vice-president duo of Shashank Manohar and Chirayu Amin, for his failure to reply to a showcause notice.

In a letter to Mr Dalmiya, BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said, ''The communication sent by your lawyer Mr Soumendra Nath Banerjee by fax was forwarded to the members of Disciplinary Committee. They have considered your request for adjourning the proceedings.

''The Committee felt that only filing of a suit in the absence of any interim order is no ground to adjourn the matter. However, to give you a fare opportunity in the matter in the interest of justice, the proceedings are adjourned,'' he said.

''The next date of hearing will be communicated to you in due course,'' Mr Shah said in the letter.

Yesterday, Mr Dalmiya, the Cricket Association of Bengal president, filed a suit before a city court challenging the legality and validity of the BCCI summon which asked him to depose before the Disciplinary Committee.

Mr Dalmiya faces charges of misappropriation and BCCI asked him to furnish details of the transfer of Rs 40 crore to a CAB account.

After Mr Dalmiya failed to reply to the notice, BCCI decided to withhold all subsidies to CAB.

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