Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has made fresh allegations against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, claiming that Tharoor threatened him with a government raid when he raised questions about the role of the late Sunanda Pushkar in the ownership structure of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala IPL franchise.
Speaking in a recent interview, Modi alleged that the controversy dates back to 2010, when he was scrutinizing the consortium behind the Kochi franchise. According to Modi, he became concerned after learning that Sunanda Pushkar had been allocated a significant equity stake despite, he claimed, not making a financial contribution to the venture.
Modi said that while he was questioning the ownership arrangement, he received a phone call from Tharoor. He alleged that Tharoor urged him not to probe Pushkar’s involvement and warned him of possible government action if he continued. Modi claimed he refused to back down, ended the conversation, and declined to sign the franchise agreement until he received satisfactory answers regarding the consortium’s ownership structure.
The former IPL chief further alleged that the Kochi franchise’s financial model was flawed and unsustainable. He argued that some shareholders were bearing the entire financial burden while others were receiving substantial benefits. Modi said he believed the structure would eventually fail, pointing to the franchise’s termination after only one IPL season as validation of his concerns.
The Kochi Tuskers Kerala controversy became one of the biggest political and sporting stories in India in 2010. Modi’s public disclosure of details related to the franchise’s stakeholders triggered a major political storm. The issue eventually led to Tharoor’s resignation as Minister of State for External Affairs, although he consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Tharoor has maintained over the years that he had no financial stake in the franchise and that his role was limited to supporting efforts to bring an IPL team to Kerala. He has previously denied allegations of corruption and has stated that investigations did not find evidence of wrongdoing on his part.
The latest allegations by Modi have reignited debate over the long-running IPL controversy, though there has been no immediate public response from Tharoor regarding these specific claims at the time of reporting.
