Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd’s last attempt at saving Deccan Chargers from getting eliminated from cash rich Indian Premier League as the Supreme Court of India has rejected their plea yesterday.
A report in The Hindu writes that the Deccan Chargers is out of the Indian Premier League for the next season, as the Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court’s order on Thursday that upheld the termination of the franchise by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
A Bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justices S.S. Nijjar and J. Chelameswar dismissed a special leave petition filed by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd., or DCHL, (which runs the Deccan Chargers) against the High Court order that said: “An arbitrator [who ordered status quo in the time limit for the franchise to furnish the BCCI with a bank guarantee] cannot overrule an order passed by the court.”
The Bench passed the order after hearing senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for DCHL, and senior counsel Aryama Sundaram and counsel P.R. Raman for the BCCI, which now can go ahead with its auction scheduled for October 25 to fill the vacancy caused by the Deccan Chargers’ exit. Rohatgi said DCHL was now in a position to give the bank guarantee for Rs. 100 crore by October 22 and sought a stay on the termination order.
He said the company had found a buyer for Deccan Chargers for Rs. 1,200 crore, and this sale would come off only if the franchise was allowed to remain in the IPL. However, Sundaram argued that the order of termination became final on October 12 when the High Court refused to extend the time, and this order was not challenged before the Division Bench. Instead, DCHL went to the arbitrator, who ordered status quo; this order was quashed on October 18.
He said the BCCI could not keep Deccan Chargers in the IPL as the company had a total debt of more than Rs. 4,500 crore. It had not paid salary to its players and charges to suppliers and had incurred multiple charges on its assets without informing the BCCI.
Meanwhile, the DNA says that, most players had informed the team management that they were not willing to renew their contracts.
Not that by sticking to the team, the players would achieve anything, but the development has only compounded the franchise’s woes. The owners did make an attempt to keep the flock together. They have tried to coax, coerce and cajole them but without much success.
“For me, it is all over. We no longer belong to the team. We’ve got our money and on October 31, we will be formally separated,” an Indian player was quoted by DNA.
The franchise, evidently, has not lost hope. In a recent letter to a player, the team said, “...while the issue pertaining to the termination is being considered by the arbitral tribunal, the same cannot amount to a termination of your contract as you still remain bound under the contract executed by you with Deccan Chargers...”
The letter, evidently a reply to the player’s notice on termination of the contract, further said, “You have incorrectly recorded in the said notice that since the BCCI has terminated our franchise right, the contractual arrangement between you and us cease to exist...”
The letter also said, “... (sic) if in spite of this letter/email, you decide to adopt any action as mentioned in your notice, it would only entitle us to adopt such action either civil or criminal as we may be advised, entirely at your own risk as to costs and consequences, which may please be noted.