MCA lifts Wankhede ban on Shah Rukh

"Today, in the MCA meeting, it was decided that the ban imposed on IPL's Kolkata franchise owner Shah Rukh Khan should be lifted. With the prior approval of our President Sharad Pawar, it was proposed by me that the ban on him be lifted and the managing committee approved it unanimously.

"Therefore, the ban on his entry in the Wankhede Stadium has been revoked," MCA vice president Ashish Shelar said after the meeting.

The Bollywood superstar was banned from entering MCA premises, including the Wankhede Stadium, for five years for engaging in a scuffle with the officials of the cricketing body and the security staff on May 16 following KKR's victory over Mumbai Indians.

The ban order was issued two days later by the MCA's Managing Committee then headed by Vilasrao Deshmukh, a former Maharashtra chief minister.

The actor had rejected the charge of misbehaviour and claimed he had reacted only after children who had accompanied him for the match, including his own kind, were "manhandled" by the security staff.

"Action had been taken against him when required and we felt it was not good to take it any further. The whole managing committee consented on it. We felt it would not look good to bar somebody like this," Shelar said.

MCA sources said that Khan had called up Pawar and requested for revocation of the ban.

The MCA Managing Committee also decided not to contest the life ban imposed by the BCCI on Mumbai cricketer <g data-gr-id="43">Ankeet</g> Chavan in connection with IPL 6 <g data-gr-id="44">spot fixing</g> scandal despite a Delhi court dropping criminal charges against him.

Chavan had requested MCA to persuade the BCCI to lift the ban but has himself not challenged the cricket board's decision so far.

"<g data-gr-id="41">Ankeet</g> Chavan, who has been cleared of <g data-gr-id="42">MCOCA</g> (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) charges, requested us to convince BCCI to lift the ban on him. But the BCCI has already sent a mail to MCA clearing the factual position on this issue," Shelar said.

"The MCA has therefore decided that it would not challenge BCCI's action against <g data-gr-id="45">Ankeet</g> which was taken as per the disciplinary committee code and the anti-corruption code.

So, we have rejected his request," he said, adding the court's ruling was only with regard to the application of <g data-gr-id="38">MCOCA</g> against the all-rounder.