Security for cricket matches: BCCI assures High Court to pay Rs.6.03 crore dues to police in two weeks

BCCI assures Bombay HC of clearing Rs.6 cr dues to Mumbai, Pimpri Chinchwad, Navi Mumbai Police for match security

Cash-rich, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday assured the Bombay High Court that it would clear the dues to Mumbai, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Navi Mumbai police in two weeks for security cover provided during matches. The cricket board said it owed Rs.1.7 crore to the Pimpri Chinchwad police, Rs.3.3 crore to the Navi Mumbai police, and Rs.1.03 crore to the Mumbai police.

“BCCI undertakes to pay these amounts within a period of two weeks,” it said in an affidavit submitted in reply to a petition filed by activist Anil Galgali. He had filed a plea challenging the Maharashtra government‘s June 2023 decision reducing the rate fixed for police protection provided to the Indian Premier League (IPL), T20, and other cricket matches with a retrospective effect from 2011.

The activist, in the petition, objected to the circular having a retrospective effect from 2011 as then the arrears pending would also be reduced. In its affidavit, the BCCI said it was committed to making all payments that it owed the authorities. “The BCCI has no intention of depriving the police of the amount owed to them and undertakes to make the payment of the disputed amount not later than 90 days of the reconciliation of the accounts with the concerned police authorities,” the affidavit said.

The cricket body said it only incurs liability for qualifiers, eliminators, and final matches of the IPL, women’s premier league matches, and any other match conducted in exceptional circumstances. It further sought that the petition be dismissed, claiming that the question of how much charges should be levied for police protection for cricket matches was a policy decision. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on February 11.

The Maharashtra government filed its affidavit in November last year, saying the decision was taken considering the financial benefits to the state exchequer in conducting such matches in Maharashtra. It also claimed that the security fees charged in other States were lesser.

As per Galgali’s plea, the police were yet to recover Rs.14.82 crore from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for the IPL matches held from 2013 to 2018 at the city’s Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums.

According to two Government Resolutions issued in 2017 and 2018, the organizers had to pay around Rs.66 to 75 lakh per T20 and one-day match and Rs.55 lakh for a test match held at Wankhede and Brabourne. However, in June 2023, the Government issued a new GR reducing the price for a T20 and one-day match to Rs.25 lakh, the plea said. The petition stated that the GR had a retrospective effect from 2011, and thus, it waived the arrears to be paid by the organizers.

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