Delhi HC dismisses plea to direct BCCI to pay fees to Delhi Police for security during IPL matches

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has dismissed a PIL seeking directions to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to pay a substantial amount to the police here for the security provided for matches held in the national capital during the IPL seasons.

The high court noted the Union of India and Delhi Police chose not to charge any fee from BCCI and IPL team Delhi Capitals for the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches held in the city and it was a policy decision that does not require any court interference.

"The decision of the Union of India or Delhi Police to not charge respondent nos. 1 and 2 (BCCI and Delhi Capitals) for the security provided during IPL matches is a policy decision which does not require any interference from this court in the present PIL," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said.

It held that the directions prayed for in the plea are not maintainable.

The high court said there was no merit in the petitioner's submission that there was a notional amount due and payable by BCCI and the IPL team to the Union of India and Delhi Police for the past matches held here until 2022.

The bench, which dismissed the petition, said this order should not be construed as restricting or prohibiting the Delhi Police from raising any fees for past or future dues if it so decides.

The high court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by Haider Ali, who claims to be a social activist, seeking a direction to the BCCI and Delhi Capitals to pay a substantial amount to Delhi Police towards the security provided for the matches during the IPL seasons.

The petitioner's counsel said he has learnt that for IPL matches held in Mumbai, the franchisee pays for the police deployment charges and added that a plea has been filed in the Rajasthan High Court on the issue of non-payment of arrears of dues by the sponsors and organisers of IPL matches payable to the Rajasthan Police for the matches held there.

The Centre’s counsel submitted that Delhi Police has not negotiated any fee with BCCI and the IPL team for the security deployed during IPL matches and, therefore, there is no amount due and payable by BCCI to the police.

The high court perused the documents on record which showed that the Maharashtra Police had negotiated a fee for the security deployed during the IPL matches held at Mumbai and the non-payment of fee was the issue under consideration before the Bombay High Court.

Similarly, in the PIL registered before the Rajasthan High Court, the issue noted by the court was with respect to the default in payment of the dues by the sponsors and organisers of IPL matches for the services rendered by the Rajasthan Police Force, it said.