The Enforcement Directorate has received a request seeking investigations into the suspected foreign exchange rule violations in the dealings of the erstwhile Indian Premier League’s Kochi franchise in connection with the Sunanda Pushkar murder case.
The ED is examining whether this warrants a probe under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. Police had earlier initiated investigations into the suspected IPL angle to the death of Pushkar, who was found dead in a Delhi hotel room on January 17, 2014.
Rendezvous Sports World, a member of the consortium that won the bid for the Kochi franchise for Rs.1,533 crore, had offered Pushkar Rs.70 crore in sweat equity. However, she gave it up in April 2010 after the then IPL chief Lalit Modi — who himself is now facing money laundering investigations —revealed names of the team owners.
Following the controversy, the then Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor — a close friend of Pushkar — resigned.
In January 2015, the police registered a murder case based on medical reports on Pushkar’s death. They also quizzed Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who told them that Pushkar spoke to him about taking the blame for the IPL controversy.
Pushkar had purportedly told Mr. Singh: “I have done a lot for this man. about this IPL angle I have not spoken before. I took the blame on my head. There was no wrongdoing on my part …”
