IOA chief slaps Batra Rs 10 cr defamation notice

Indian Olympic Association chief N Ramachandran has slapped a defamation notice on Narinder Batra, demanding Rs 10 crore for allegedly damaging his reputation by his bribery allegations even as the Hockey India President dared the IOA boss to sue him in a court of law. Batra had alleged that during the IOA elections last year, he was offered by Ramachandran, through another person, Rs 1 crore every year he remains as president in return for supporting his candidacy.

Calling the allegations made by Batra as “false and malicious”, Ramachandran has demanded Rs 10 crore in damages to be paid within 15 days along with an unconditional apology withdrawing the remarks or else he will take legal action under relevant laws. “The said remarks are false, malicious and calculated to lower our client in the estimation of the <g data-gr-id="18">right thinking</g> members of society generally and specifically in the eyes of the members of the IOA, the IOC and amongst the sporting fraternity and administrators,” Harishankar Mani, Ramachandran’s lawyer, wrote in his legal notice to Batra.

“By releasing your defamatory comments to the Press you have further aggravated your tortuous conduct by disseminating the same far and wide.