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IPL 'is a big scam'

New Delhi - Indian authorities on Monday said thorough probes had been ordered on the source and use of funds by the franchisees of the lucrative Indian Premier League and that no one guilty will be spared.

Federal finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said the government was investigating "all aspects" of the IPL to unearth possible tax evasions and flouting of rules, a day after junior foreign minister Shashi Tharoor resigned over allegations of corruption in the winning bid of a new franchise in the cricket league.

"In fact, the concerned department has already started the investigation process," Mukherjee told the parliament.

"I can assure all honourable members that all aspects of IPL including its sources of funding and how these funds were routed and invested would be looked into. No guilty or wrong-doers will be spared".

Over the past few days, the Indian parliament has been rocked by allegations - from across the political spectrum - that the IPL was a hotbed of match-fixing and financial manipulation.

Political leaders insisted that the government can take control over of cricket in India. India's apex governing body for cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is a private club consortium.

Parallel probes by government agencies, including the income tax department and wings of the finance ministry were ongoing, the IANS news agency reported.

"Parallel investigations will now be made by four of our agencies. This will be coordinated by the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau," a senior official in the finance ministry told the IANS.

Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid also hinted at independent investigations by regulators attached with his ministry.

Income tax officials had already visited IPL offices in Mumbai and questioned its commissioner Lalit Modi.

Media reports said the Income Tax department had sent notices to the BCCI on the ownership structures of 10 franchisee teams as well as their revenue, expenditure and transactions.

Tharoor was forced to resign after opposition parties alleged that Sunanda Pushkar, a Dubai-based businesswoman, close to the minister was granted a free stake in a new team from his home state Kerala.

Tharoor denied any wrongdoing but the matter snowballed into a major controversy.

"Tharoor is out. IPL is a big scam. This petty IPL game should be handed over to the Indian sports ministry," said Laloo Prasad Yadav, leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal party.

"IPL is glorified gambling with black money. The government should look into the system as it is a matter of serious concern," Overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi said.

"IPL has become a hub of match-fixing and should no longer continue," Sharad Yadav another politician said in the parliament.

The IPL with cricket in the shortened Twenty20 format is hugely popular in India as well as the rest of the cricketing world and reportedly has a brand value of 4.13 billion dollars.

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