The Maharashtra state government came under fire on Thursday, August 29, from the Bombay High Court for an improbable and unjustifiable decrease in the amount it charges for police protection during cricket matches, including the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Anil Galgali, an RTI (Right To Information) activist, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) claiming that the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) owed the Mumbai Police Department a substantial INR 14.82 crore. This led to the court’s reaction. Since the claims are related to the games played at the city’s Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium between 2013 and 2018, they do not include any current ones.
The court noted that whereas the cost of basic necessities continues to rise, the substantial fees that the police department was able to collect from a wealthy cricket association had experienced an improbable decline. As a result, the retrospective reduction of the fees raised concerns.
“Madam, what is this? Even for those who live in slums, you continue to raise water prices while decreasing these costs. Among the wealthiest cricket associations worldwide is BCCI. The court noted, citing the State’s government pleader as cited by Hindustan Times, “That’s how they become rich.”
The Bombay High Court has also asked a senior department officer to submit an affidavit defending the reduced costs for providing police security services for the specified duration.
Furthermore, the court declared that it was unable to fully comprehend the rationale behind the service price reduction. Notably, the court had previously stated that it was not interested in considering Galgali’s plea; nevertheless, after presenting evidence of a government decision from June 26, 2023, the court partially accepted the plea, raising concerns about the downward reduction of rates.
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The Bombay High Court will have its next hearing on the subject on October 8, 2024, at which point an affidavit must be properly filed with the bench.
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