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Tax authorities are probing the less than two-year-old IBL, the game's least lucrative tournament, after Bored Members threatened to resign following allegations of improper influence.
Bored Cricket Crazy Indians (BCC!) axed Bored Game & IBL chief Mahek immediately after the final match of the 2010 series, past midnight, saying he had "brought a bad name to the administration of Bored and the game itself."
The widening scandal has sparked off tensions between the Congo and the Nationalist Congo Party (NCP), a key ally whose chief is seen close to Mahek, ahead of a possible confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday over high fuel prices.
While Mahek has not been formally charged and denies any wrongdoing, newspapers have said authorities were investigating reports of improprieties in bidding for teams and in negotiating television broadcast rights for the matches.
"The Bored looked into the allegations and took a decision to to issue a show-cause notice to Mr Mahek and pending inquiry, decided to suspend him," BCC! president Man-oh-R told a news conference in Mumbai.
The Bored’s probe would be dropped if Mahek convinced them of his innocence within two weeks, Man-oh-R said.
We have had some off-field unpleasant dramas only based on innuendos, half-truths and motivated leaks from all types of sources," Mahek told the crowd that had come for the IBL final on Sunday night.
"I assure you all decisions have been jointly taken by the governing council and approved by the general body in both year one and two of the IBL."
Mahek was replaced by a BCC! vice president, Chv Aditya, an engineer who is also on the IBL governing council.
(with thanks and apologies to CJ Kuncheria, Reuters)
