BCCI wins legal battle

In a significant order, the Mumbai High Court on Thursday declined to stay the contract awarded by the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) to the International Management Group towards clothing sponsorship for international matches in the next three years.

The order was delivered by Justice DK Deshmukh, who dismissed a notice of motion taken out by Gayatri Arts in a suit filed by the company against the Board for awarding the contract to the IMG.

Gayatri Arts claimed it had made the highest bid of Rs 90 crore and the BCCI had issued a letter asking them to confirm the offer which was accepted in a reply sent to the BCCI. The plaintiff claimed that BCCI's letter constituted a concluded contract between the two.

The court, however, was of the view that prima facie it could not be said there was a concluded contract between the plaintiff and the BCCI.

On June 13, Justices BN Srikrishna and Nishita Mhatre had disposed of an appeal filed by Sham Dhumatkar, proprietor of Gayatri Arts, challenging the order of Justice Deshmukh who earlier refused to stay the contract to IMG-TWI.

The bench had refused to stay the contract awarded to IMG and its subsidary Transworld International. But the judges gave liberty to the appellant to move a notice of motion for staying the contract before Justice Deshmukh who had earlier rejected a similar plea.