DDCA withdraws plea seeking occupancy certificate for T20 WC

DDCA today withdrew its plea from Delhi High Court seeking occupancy certificate from South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to hold T20 matches at the Ferozshah Kotla grounds here after the municipality said it wants the cricket body to pay Rs 50 lakh and complete all formalities in 20 days.

The Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) made its request to withdraw the application before a bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vibhu Bakhru, which was accepted.

"The petitioner (DDCA) seeks to withdraw its application. The request is allowed," the bench said. During the hearing, the SDMC, as directed by the high court yesterday, informed it that it has passed a resolution by which DDCA has to pay Rs 50 lakh as security amount and comply with all the norms within 20 days.

Advocate Gaurang Kanth, appearing for SDMC, submitted that if DDCA will not complete its work within 20 days, then its security of Rs 50 lakh will stand forfeited.

The bench then asked senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for DDCA, whether the cricketing body can comply with the resolution and complete the work in 20 days. It also asked if DDCA can give an undertaking in pursuance to the resolution.

To this, the DDCA counsel assured the bench, "Our intent is very clear and we will complete the work within 20 days."

The bench then said, if the work is not completed, then no occupancy certificate will be given to it and "we don't want any further litigation. Therefore, you have to comply within 20 days, otherwise no matches will be allowed."

"After 20 days, you (DDCA) should not come and say they (SDMC) are illegally withholding the occupancy certificate or say you need any modification in the earlier order. It should not happen," the bench said.

It further said that DDCA needed to complete 60 per cent remaining work and no match can be held under "unsafe circumstances".

The bench asked why Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should not be kept in the loop in the entire matter as tickets for the matches have to be sold and if the DDCA does not complete the work, who will take responsibility.

"BCCI will have to take the risk whatever is going on in the matter. Involve BCCI in this and send it the resolution and the order of the court," the bench said, with the DDCA counsel saying they have to seek instructions regarding the involvement of BCCI in the matter.

The court gave them 45 minutes and when the hearing resumed, the counsel informed that DDCA wished to withdraw the application in the wake of the SDMC resolution, which was allowed by the court.