India's top court rejects Modi's plea on inquiry

India's Supreme Court has dismissed former IPL chairman Lalit Modi's petition seeking an independent inquiry, instead of the current one by a BCCI committee, into allegations of financial irregularities against him. The petition was heard by Justice JM Panchal and Justice HL Gokhale, who ruled that the mere apprehension of the committee being biased could not be grounds to seek a probe by an independent tribunal.

Modi had filed the petition in September 2010, seeking the removal of his successor Chirayu Amin - who has since been replaced by Rajiv Shukla - and BCCI north zone vice-president Arun Jaitley from the disciplinary committee investigating charges against him. Modi has repeatedly challenged the composition of the committee but his plea for the recusal of the two members on grounds of bias against him had earlier been rejected by the Bombay High Court.

The BCCI had suspended Modi soon after the conclusion of IPL 2010, and charged him with financial irregularities relating to the bidding process for IPL franchises, the mid-over ad sales and the sale of theatrical rights.