Wellington: Former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi had launched a legal notice against Chris Cairns, New Zealand cricketer seeking more than 3.8 million in damage and cost over a libel case.
Rajesh Vyakarnam, lawyer to former IPL chief in an email to the New Zealand Herald claimed that he had also applied to the High Court in London to have the libel verdict won by Cairns in 2012 set aside on the grounds of fraud.
Cairns retired from international cricket in 2004 after becoming one of only 12 players in Test history to complete the ‘double’ of 200 wickets and 3,000 runs.
Notify that Cairns faces a perjury charge relating to the libel suit and London lawyer Andrew Fitch-Holland, Cairns’ lead adviser in the action against Modi, faces one count of perverting the course of justice.
Cairns won more than USD$140,000 when he sued Modi over a 2010 tweet accusing the all-rounder of corruption during his time in the now defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Vyakarnam said, “Mr Modi has issued proceedings to set aside the 2012 libel judgment on the ground of fraud and is claiming the return of all damages and costs paid which are in excess of £2.4m.”
“Mr Modi is still bound by the injunction awarded by Justice Bean and does not wish to prejudice the (Crown Prosecution Service’s) case against Mr Cairns or Mr Fitch-Holland. He will therefore not make any further comments at this time.”
The allegations of Modi had been related to the 2008 editions of the ICL competition when Cairns captained the Chandigarh Lions.
The court meanwhile ruled that Modi “singularly failed” to provide any reliable evidence that Cairns was involved in fixing.
Bureau Report
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