Legal setback for IPL cricket chief Lalit Modi
- Published
Mr Modi denies allegations of wrongdoing
A court in India has rejected suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi's plea to quash a disciplinary inquiry into allegations against him.
The Indian cricket board suspended Mr Modi in March over corruption claims.
He told the court he was not likely to get a fair hearing from the board as they were "biased", and called for an independent panel.
Mr Modi, who is being investigated by tax officials, denies all allegations.
The Mumbai high court directed Mr Modi to appear at a hearing before the cricket board, the BCCI, on Friday, board official Ratnakar Shetty told the Associated Press news agency.
The hearing will investigate complaints of corruption against him.
Mr Modi founded the IPL in 2008 and it has become a multi-billion-dollar industry.
Internet rights
The main accusations against Mr Modi relate to the initial bids for the Rajasthan and Punjab team franchises and alleged bid-rigging for two new franchises that will start next year.
He also faces probes into the sale of broadcasting and internet rights.
The crisis erupted after Mr Modi revealed on his Twitter account that a female friend of Shashi Tharoor, a junior government minister, had invested in a consortium awarded a new IPL franchise in Kochi.
That revelation caused a storm which sparked Mr Tharoor's resignation and also led to government investigations into the teams, sponsors, broadcasters and event managers associated with the IPL.