Mr Muthiah, who was Ficci's president-elect, has withdrawn from the president's post in the wake of investigations into cricket match-fixing. According to Ficci president GP Goenka, the decision was made "due to unforeseen challenges and responsibilities thrust upon him as the president of Board for Control of Cricket in India."

Mr Muthiah was Ficci's senior vice-president during 1999-2000 and was nominated as president-elect on August 17. He was to take over as president at Ficci's annual general meeting next month.

Ficci's current vice-president Chirayu R Amin, who is chairman and managing director of Alembic group which was founded in 1907 and is today among the leading pharmaceutical companies with popular brands such as `Glycodin' and `Althrocin,' is likely to take up the mantle in place of Mr Muthiah, according to Mr Goenka.

Explaining Mr Muthiah's decision to withdraw himself from the post, Mr Goenka said, "Since the nationwide debate on this critical subject, followed by wide-ranging investigations, is seriously impringing on the time and energy of Dr Muthiah, he felt that it would be unfair and unjust on his part to take up the mantle of the presidentship of Ficci this year."

Mr Muthiah, in such a situation, felt that he would not be able to do justice to both of these national organisations simultaneously, given the new and unexpected developments on the BCCI front. According to Ficci, "Most unexpectedly, the responsibilities of the president of BCCI has claimed excessive time and attention of Dr Muthiah under the present circums-tances."

"Thus, Dr Muthiah found it appropriate to withdraw his candidature for the post of presidentship of Ficci this year," the Ficci statement added.

The likely next president Mr Amin is also the senior vice president of Indian Council of Arbitration and also the ex-president of International Chamber of Commerce (India), All India Organisation of Employers and Federation of Gujarat Industries.

DD in CBI dragnet
AfteR cricketers, it was the turn of some officials of the national broadcaster, Doordarshan, including a former director general of DD, to get caught in the CBI net. The CBI, after a day-long raid, has registered a case against present and former officials of Doordarshan, New Delhi, and three firms, for causing a huge loss to the government.