Mumbai, April 25
Lalit Modi was tonight suspended as the IPL commissioner and issued a show-cause notice capping two weeks of raging controversy over financial wrongdoings in the hugely popular cricket tournament. The action by BCCI was taken minutes after the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the third edition of the tournament past midnight on a day of dramatic developments when Modi had decided to attend and chair the IPL Governing Council meeting on Monday morning.

Describing the alleged acts of "individual misdemeanours" of Modi had brought a bad name to the administration of cricket and the game itself, BCCI president Shashank Manohar issued him a notice calling upon him to show cause within 15 days why disciplinary action should not be taken against him.

"Simultaneously in exercise of the powers vested in me under Rule 32 (vii), I have suspended Lalit K Modi from participating in the affairs of the Board, the IPL, the Working Committee and any other committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India," Manohar said in a media release.

Maintaining that the events of the last few days have thrown up a lot of sad and unfortunate developments, he said "while we rejoice and celebrate the great success of IPL season three, the alleged acts of Modi have brought a bad name to the game".

Manohar said he waited for the IPL III to conclude in order to respond to the situation as he did not want the event to be disrupted in any manner. "Immediately after the conclusion of the IPL final, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan has in consultation with me issued a show cause notice to Lalit K Modi under Rule 32 (iv) calling upon him to show cause within 15 days why disciplinary action should not be taken against him". Reacting to the action against him, Modi said it had been a long and tiring tournament and wondered how he could attend the Governing Council meeting if he has been suspended. "Is the BCCI scared of truth," he said.

Earlier in the day, Modi, after failing to postpone the meeting of the Governing Council, sprang a surprise and said he would attend the Monday proceedings. "I will attend and chair the meeting of the Governing Council as chairman and commissioner. I have issued the agenda to the Governing Council," the IPL boss wrote on his Twitter page.

Modi had decided to attend the meeting after initially declaring it 'illegal'. Also, the move had put the ball in Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) court as Modi had asked the Governing Council members to give their complaints against him in writing and backed by documents.

"Members of the Governing Council have been requested to give all such complaints in writing with the requisite supporting documents at the meeting on the morning of April 26 to the chairman and commissioner, so they can be replied in full," Modi said in a statement.

The single-point agenda chosen by Modi appeared to be a bid to block any discussion on serious allegations against him widely reported in the media over the past several days. That was because, it would had been near impossible for the Governing Council members to provide documentary support since such documents are with the Income Tax Department and other investigative agencies.