Prasar Bharati’s CEO BS Lalli on firing line for scam

New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil has given her consent to a government request that asks for a Supreme Court judge to look into corruption charges against Prasar Bharati’s Chief Executive Officer BS Lalli for alleged violation of rules in awarding broadcast rights of cricket matches to private channels.

The President was of the opinion that it was upto the government to decide if the CEO should be suspended while the inquiry was being conducted against him, NDTV reported on Thursday.

Prasar Bharati is an autonomous body of the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry, that governs state-owned Doordarshan and All India Radio.

According to the Prasar Bharati Act, the CEO can only be removed after a Supreme Court judge finds the person is guilty.

Lalli, who took over as CEO in Dec 2006, was charged by the Central Vigilance Commissioner with violating the rules while awarding broadcast rights of cricket matches to private channels.

Lalli was also recently at the centre of a controversy related to the Commonwealth Games.
A 246-crore broadcast rights deal kicked up controversy with allegations flying that SIS Live, the company that won the contract, had not met the required tax registration formalities.
SIS Live also sub-contracted its work to a Delhi company named Zoom Communications.
Lalli is accused of allowing this without getting the required sanctions from the I&B Ministry.