Mumbai, May 24: The high court of Karnataka on Wednesday restrained Prasar Bharati Corporation from permitting any person to exploit Internet rights to the cricket matches played in the country and hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India without inviting tenders or holding public auction and receiving appropriate consideration.The court passed this order on a public interest petition filed by Narendranath Swamy, a social worker, from Bangalore.
The petitioner has alleged that some officials of Doordarshan have entered into a "criminal conspiracy with TWI/Stracon and in order to "defraud Prasar Bharati of its Internet rights, TWI/Stracon have issued a press release that they are owners of Internet rights."
The officials of Prasar Bharati are aware that the "cost of Internet rights in the present day scenario will be worth several hundred crores of rupees" but have "kept quiet on the statement of TWI/Stracon."
Since the television rights were sold to Buddha Films and TWI/Stracon for Rs 620 crore, the Internet rights must fetch Prasar Bharati more than Rs 650 crore. The value of Internet would be far greater than that of television, the petitioner said. "Some officials of DD are hand in glove with foreign companies like TWI," he alleged.
The court passed the interim order, restraining Prasar Bharati from parting with Internet rights till further notice.
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