Manoj’s threat to sue BCCI
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 13 — Former Test allrounder Manoj Prabhakar has served a legal notice on the Board of Control for Cricket in India to release the benevolent fund due to him within four weeks along with interest and threatened to initiate legal proceedings in the event of default.

The notice was sent yesterday through his lawyer, Mr Nidesh Gupta to the BCCI secretary and a copy released to the press.

Arguing for his client, Mr Gupta said Manoj Prabhakar who played for over 12 years in international cricket had announced his retirement in March, 1996, and the fund was due to him till that date.

He said the BCCI was required to immediately release the amount due to Prabhakar from the fund but that was not done.

"However, on the same not being done, my client was compelled to ask the board to do so. In spite of requests having been made by my client, both orally as also in writing, no action has been taken by the board and the board continues to retain the fund which is the property of my client," the two-page notice said.

Mr Gupta told TNS that several lakhs would have accrued in the fund since Prabhakar had played for India for 12 years.

Mr Gupta said during the course of his client’s international cricket career — 39 Tests and 129 one-day internationals between 1984 and 1996 — a substantial part of his match fees was deducted by the BCCI for depositing into the benevolent fund of Prabhakar.

"The said amounts having been deducted from the match fees belonging to my client and having been deposited into the benevolent fund of my client, the same are a part of the property of my client, which was required to be released by the board at the time of his retirement from international cricket," the notice said.

It said, "Inaction on the part of the board and its failure to release the fund, which in law belongs to my client, has caused tremendous mental agony and distress to him. The liability for damages and for suffering caused on this score, rests totally on the BCCI."

Mr Gupta said in case the board did not pay the amount to his client within four weeks of the receipt of the legal notice along with 18 per cent per annum interest from March 1996, till the date of payment, legal proceedings with costs would be initiated against it.