The Lalit Modi-BCCI showdown is set to drag on for a while as the suspended IPL commissioner is expected to get five more days to respond to the first show cause notice issued to him for alleged financial misdemeanours.
Modi was supposed to respond to the chargesheet by Monday but is learnt to have been given more time after he sought some documents from the BCCI to prepare his reply.
"He has asked for some documents from the BCCI to file his replies but has not got them yet. So he has sought an extension from the BCCI pending the receipt of the said documents," a source close to Modi said.
"As per the BCCI Constitution Modi will remain suspended for six months and he can take the time he wants to file his reply. We have a strong case against him and giving him five extra days to respond is no big deal," said a BCCI source.
Though there was no official word from the BCCI on whether the extension would be granted, a top source said that Modi would be given time till Saturday to submit his response.
Modi's request for an extension is surprising as just a couple of days ago, he had asserted that he would personally hand over his reply to the BCCI.
"I will hand over the reply on Monday, there is no doubt about it," he had said.
Modi was suspended on April 26, soon after the conclusion of the IPL III final in Navi Mumbai by BCCI, which sent him a show cause notice asking him to reply to a slew of charges relating to the conduct of the high-profile Twenty20 league.
Modi is accused of indulging in murky financial deals without the knowledge of the IPL Governing Council, bid-rigging and taking kickbacks from the TV rights and Internet deals.
Modi's problems were compounded when he was slapped with a second show cause notice by the Board for allegedly trying to provoke English counties to revolt against their parent body, the ECB, and start a parallel Twenty20 league.
Once Modi responds to the charges, the board's three-man disciplinary committee, comprising BCCI President Shashank Manohar and two vice-presidents - Arun Jaitley and Chirayu Amin, will take over the proceedings.
The panel is expected to meet in mid-June to decided on the matter.
