Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has made fresh allegations about the controversy surrounding the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise in 2010, claiming he was subjected to political pressure when he questioned the team’s ownership structure and the role of Sunanda Pushkar.In an interview with news agency ANI, Lalit Modi alleged that when he tried to stop the Kochi consortium from entering the IPL because of what he believed was an unfair equity arrangement involving Pushkar, the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government turned against him.When asked who was backing Congress leader Shashi Tharoor during the controversy, Lalit Modi replied, “Sonia Gandhi, guns were fired at me from all sides.” I got a call from Ahmed Patel. I got calls from Pranab Mukherjee in those days… I was friendly with all of them. You have Rajeev Shukla come to me and say, do this, do this.According to Lalit Modi, concerns arose when the Kochi consortium acquired the franchise rights with a bid of US$350 million. He claimed that the financial structure of the consortium raised questions as some shareholders were paying the full price while another stakeholder was receiving equity without contributing proportionately.Recalling the discussion with the consortium members, Lalit Modi said, “All the shareholders were there except the woman, Sunanda Pushkar. You are giving 25 percent share to a woman named Sunanda Pushkar. Who is she? You are giving up 15 percent revenue. Who is she?”He added, “How can one pay $350 million for a consortium where 75% of the shareholders are paying 100% of the cost, and one is getting 25% free equity?”Lalit Modi alleged that Pushkar’s share price rose sharply when the franchise was awarded. “For his Rs 10 tranche, the day he got the team, it was worth Rs 1 lakh. His Rs 10 tranche was worth 1 paise. I knew it was going to collapse. And what happened? Two years later, it did,” he said.
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He also claimed that during a meeting in Bangalore, he refused to sign the franchise agreement until he knew the identity of all the shareholders. Recalling the incident, he said, “I didn’t know who Sunanda Pushkar was. I asked the consortium members, ‘Who is that?’ A man says she is the daughter of an automobile dealer, a famous marketing person. I said, ‘Hi, I’m a marketing person in India, and I don’t know who he is.’Lalit Modi further alleged that later he received a call from the then Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor.Lalit Modi recalled that I got a call from Shashi Tharoor. “They say, ‘Lalit, don’t ask about Sunanda Pushkar. She is my good friend.’ When I asked why, he said, ‘If you do that, I will raid you in the morning.’ I said, ‘Fuck you. Who do you think you are? You may be the Foreign Minister of India, but don’t you dare tell me that? I hung up and said I will not sign.”Lalit Modi also claimed that he had supported Kochi’s entry into the IPL even though Kerala did not have an adequate stadium at the time.“Tharoor at that time sucked me to do it. He would come to my house. He was without a doubt a smooth conversationalist. I fell for it,” he said.He further alleged that the then BCCI president Shashank Manohar called him late at night and directed him to sign the franchise agreement immediately. Lalit Modi said he wanted to delay the signing till the next morning but was rejected.“I told him, ‘Shashank, I will be forced to sign this agreement. And I will note it on the document that the president is forcing me to sign.’ And I noted that,” he said.Speaking about his exchange with Sunanda Pushkar on social media before her death in 2014, Lalit Modi said, “That morning, Sunanda was talking to me on Twitter… She said, ‘Should I disclose? I said, “Go ahead and disclose.”He also claimed that he never spoke to Pushkar personally.Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel suite in New Delhi on 17 January 2014.The Kochi franchise was disbanded by the BCCI in 2011 after playing just one IPL season. Owned by KCPL and RSW, Kochi finished eighth out of 10 teams in IPL 2011. Tharoor resigned as Minister of State for External Affairs in April 2010 following the controversy.
