On August 29, 2024, the Bombay High Court expressed serious concerns over the Maharashtra government's decision to reduce police protection fees for Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 cricket matches. The issue came to light during a hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Anil Vedvyas Galgali, a Right to Information (RTI) activist from Sakinaka, Mumbai. The court questioned the State government’s justification for waiving ₹14.8 crore in outstanding fees owed by IPL organizers for security services provided since 2011, suggesting that the move lacked a clear rationale.
Disparity Between Public and Private Charges
The Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Amit Borkar, criticized the State’s decision, highlighting a stark contrast between the increasing charges imposed on the general public and the leniency shown towards a financially powerful entity like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The court noted that while essential charges such as water taxes for slum dwellers were being raised, the fees for securing cricket matches—organized by one of the wealthiest cricket bodies in the world—were being reduced. This decision, the judges implied, might be contributing to the BCCI’s wealth accumulation at the expense of public resources.
Repeated Attempts to Recover Dues
Galgali’s petition revealed that the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) still owes ₹14.82 crore for police protection provided during IPL matches held at Mumbai’s Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums between 2013 and 2018. Government Resolutions issued in 2017 and 2018 set the required fees at ₹66 lakh to ₹75 lakh per T20 and One-Day International match, and ₹55 lakh for a Test match. However, a circular issued by the Maharashtra government on June 26, 2023, retroactively reduced these charges to ₹10 lakh per IPL match, a decision that the petitioner argued was detrimental to the public treasury.
The petition, supported by information obtained under the RTI Act, revealed that the Mumbai police had sent 35 reminder letters to the MCA to recover the outstanding amount of ₹14.82 crore. Despite these efforts, the MCA had only paid ₹1.40 crore over the past eight years for the police protection provided during IPL matches. The court took note of this disparity and questioned the effectiveness of the measures taken by the government to recover the dues.
Court Orders Further Clarification
In response to the concerns raised, the High Court directed Advocate General Birendra Saraf to assist in the matter and instructed the Additional Chief Secretary of the State government to file an affidavit detailing the total amount owed by the MCA since 2011 and the steps taken to recover these dues. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 7, 2024, where further clarifications are expected to be provided.
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