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World Cup: HC directive to Govt.

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JAN. 22. The Delhi High Court today directed the Union Government and the Reserve Bank of India not to release foreign exchange or provide income tax concession to Pepsi Foods Limited, Hero Honda Motors Limited and LG Electronics India, sponsoring the World Cup cricket tournament in South Africa-Zimbabwe, if the Indian team was debarred from playing.

"In the event of the Indian players or the Indian team being disqualified or debarred from participating in the World Cup... the Government and the RBI is to ensure that appropriate executive action is taken and ensure that no foreign exchange is released and no other benefit or concession is given to the sponsors which are admittedly within the jurisdiction of this court,'' a Division Bench, comprising Justice Devinder Gupta and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog, said in its interim orders. It also restrained the three companies from advertising in the World Cup if India was debarred.

The court, however, clarified that it had nothing to do with the contractual rights of the International Cricket Council, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the players. It was only concerned with the imminent threat to the participation of the Indian team. India's participation seems to be in jeopardy if the ICC, the BCCI and the players stick to their guns.

Admitting the public interest litigation filed by six concerned citizens, the Bench allowed their two main pleas of directing the Government not to release foreign exchange and give income tax concession to the three sponsoring companies in the event of the Indian team's exclusion.

The petitioners said that the ICC had threatened that it would bar the Indian team if the players did not sign the contract.

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