NEW DELHI: The ownership of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) has come under a cloud with the Delhi High Court last week issuing notice to league chairman Vivek Khushalani and CEO Raman Raheja asking them to file a reply to a petition by their former partner Prashant Mehta who claims to have been illegally denied his share in it.
Mehta had sought arbitration for the violation of a memorandum of understanding signed by Khushalani, Raheja and him on 27.07.2021 to jointly run the league. He said the LLC was his idea and that he had roped in Khushalani following which the MoU was signed.
He claimed the MoU acknowledged his expertise in organising leagues, tournaments and other such events, and provided 5% share in the private limited company that was proposed to be set up to run it. However, Khushalani and Raheja ignored the MoU and launched the league without giving him his due, Mehta alleged.
For their part, Khushalani and Raheja questioned the legal validity of the MoU. Two seasons of the league have been played this year. Senior cricketing stars, including Jacques Kallis, Muthiah Muralitharan and Dwayne Smith, besides Indian cricketing legends Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Sreesanth and the Pathan brothers have participated in the matches. Ravi Shastri is the league commissioner and Amitabh Bachchan its brand ambassador. The league is run on the lines of the IPL and has top corporates, including Adani, GMR, etc as team owners.
Arbitration sought
The petitioners on July 4 sent a notice to invoke the arbitration clause in the MoU. They proposed the appointment of retired Delhi HC judges G S Sistani or J R Midha or Sunil Gaur as sole arbitrator for adjudication of the dispute