MUMBAI: Today the supreme court rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) to stay the IPL playoff matches until the completion of investigations of the alleged spot-fixing in the tournament. It has, however, given the BCCI a 15-day deadline to conclude its investigation, which is being carried out by cricket?s richest body?s anti-corruption unit head Ravi Sawani.

The supreme court also slammed the BCCI, saying that the spot fixing incidents had taken place due to its lackadaisical approach in reining in the erring players.

An apex court bench of justices B.S. Chauhan and Dipak Misra said that it was incumbent upon the BCCI to maintain and sustain the reputation of the 125-year-old game. The court said, "Definitely there is some kind of irregularity. But the biggest problem is the lackadaisical attitude of the BCCI. It should stop. There has to be some scientific dispassionate and impartial approach to solve these problems."

In its ruling, the court observed that cricket was a gentleman?s game and it should remain as gentleman?s, not tainted, at the same time though it also said that it was not a case for the court to ?interfere and ban matches?.

Social activist Sudarsh Awasti had filed the PIL. He had also sought that the court orders a special investigation team (SIT) probe into the scam.

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court today directed three public sector banks to deposit within 15 days a sum of Rs 4 billion with the Prothonotary and Master of Bombay High Court, who would then remit the money to the bank account of BCCI.

The BCCI had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court aggrieved by the Bombay High Court order that prevented it from invoking bank guarantees following the termination of contract with Nimbus Communications.

However, if the BCCI?s suit fails, the said sum would be returned along with interest. Three nationalised banks namely Punjab National Bank, Indian Bank and Union Bank of India had helped Nimbus to furnish un-conditional bank guarantee to the tune of Rs 16 billion to acquire the BCCI media rights.

The bank guarantees had been given to secure payment of dues by the Nimbus to the BCCI.

The BCCI had entered into Media Rights License Agreement (MRA) with Nimbus Communications for the period from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2014. In November 2011, the BCCI had terminated the MRA with Nimbus for default in payment and sought to encash the bank guarantees which were in the possession of BCCI.

However, the banks refused to pay the monies to the tune of Rs 16 billion under the unconditional bank guarantees. This compelled the BCCI to file summary suits against the three in the Bombay HC.

Much to the disappointment of BCCI, the Bombay HC granted the three banks leave to defend the suits on a condition that the banks deposit a sum totaling Rs 4 billion with the Prothonotary and Master of the Bombay HC, who would then redeposit the sums with the respective banks.

Earlier, Nimbus Communications was directed by the Bombay HC to secure the dues of BCCI by the way of bank guarantee. The order has not been complied by them and the Company faces contempt proceedings, the BCCI said.