Date:09/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/09/stories/2004120908511800.htm

Sport - Cricket

Warrants against Arjuna Ranatunga, Ibrahim Ahmed

INDORE, DEC. 8. A local court on Tuesday issued warrants against former Sri Lanka cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga and ICC match referee Ibrahim Ahmed of Zimbabwe for their alleged role in the cancellation of a one-day match between India and Sri Lanka in 1997.

The warrants were issued by Judicial First Class Magistrate, Nivedita Mudgal, on a complaint filed by advocate Shailendra Dwivedi in 1998. The court also gave a direction to the External Affairs Ministry to ensure that it would be served on the accused persons.

Dwivedi had alleged that the people were cheated by the organisers as they purchased the tickets for watching the one-day match and not the exhibition match.

Taking note of their non-appearance in the matter, the court again issued the warrants.

Initially, Dwivedi filed the complaint against former India captain Sachin Tendulkar, MPCA officials M. K. Bhargava and Narendra Menon, Ranatunga and Ahmed.

While Bhargava and Menon secured bail in 1998, Dwivedi dropped the name of Tendulkar in 2000 contending Sachin's performance was getting affected due to the litigation. The court fixed February 15 as the next date for hearing the case. — PTI