MATCH REPORTS
STAT SHEET
DIARY
OTHER SPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
PEOPLE
DEAR REDIFF

Dalmiya slaps 150 million suit on Sunil Dev

International Cricket Council president Jagmohan Dalmiya has filed a Rs 150 million suit against Delhi District Cricket Association sports secretary Sunil Dev. And with this, the war between the Dalmiya and Bindra factions within the Indian cricket establishment has blown open, big time.

The legal notice served by Dalmiya on Dev demands Rs 150 million as general damage to the former's reputation.

The legal notice accuses Dev of making "false, malicious and defamatory aspersions and innuendoes" against Dalmiya. Further, the suit gives Dev 48 hours to "express utmost regret and tender unqualified apology in writing", while the Rs 150 million has, the notice says, to be paid by way of reparation for general damage to Dalmiya's reputation and dignity, in any event.

Dev had earlier accused Dalmiya of impropriety in business deals with Doordarshan and WorldTel during the Independence Cup in May. Dalmiya denied the allegations and called on Dev to prove them.

The notice, from Dalmiya, further states that should Dev fail to comply with the conditions, criminal and civil proceedings will be instituted against him.

Dev, for his part, attempted to back pedal when, in a statement, he said that whatever statements he had made were for the good of Indian cricket, and not intended personally against Dalmiya or anyone else. It is not, however, an answer that is liable to get the heat off him.

"I will discuss the whole matter with my lawyers and then decide on a further course of action," Dev said in Delhi.