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Dalmiya to sue Agarwal

International Cricket Council (ICC) president Jagmohan Dalmiya on Friday reiterated that he will file a criminal defamation suit against Arun Agarwal, a former financial expert of Prasar Bharati, for accusing him of defrauding Doordarshan in the grant of telecast rights.

Dalmiya said that along with Agarwal, he will also drag a few more persons who are involved in maligning him. However, he felt there is no use going against the Prasar Bharati since the latter had clarified its stand on the issue and made Agarwal personally responsible for the statements.

Dalmiya, who addressed a media conference in Calcutta on Friday evening, said hid solicitor has been asked to file the case as early as possible so that the allegations are not repeated.

He, however, clarified that there's no use in filing any case against the Prasar Bharati in view of the stand taken by the Prasar Bharati, responding to his notice of the day. Prasar Bharati deputy director general K Kunhikrishnan had said: ''Any statement that he (Mr Agarwal) has made is done at his own risk and the consequences thereof will have to be only his since Mr Agarwal ceased to be associated with Prasar Bharati in any manner whatsoever after the completion of his assignment on April 23 last year.''

Dalmiya said the news media which circulated the reported statement of Agarwal will also be made party to the case.

In the morning, the ICC chief had sent a notice to the chief executive officer of Prasar Bharati, Rajiv Ratan Shah, seeking his clarification on the allegations made by Agarwal. He had asked Shah to substantiate the charges within a day.

Agarwal yesterday told a press conference that ICC chief Jagmohan Dalmiya and WorldTel's Mark Mascarenhas defrauded Doordarshan to the tune of four million US dollars with regard to the telecast rights of the ICC knock-out tournament in Dhaka in October 1998.

UNI