Dec 17, 2006: It was waiting to happen, indeed. But, Jagmohan Dalmiya would never have expected the jolt so soon. Master marketer of the game of cricket as a commercial item, the former BCCI chief saw himself being dumped on charges of financial irregularities during his tenure at the helm of the top cricket body in the country.

A Special General Body of BCCI adopted a resolution that expelled him from the Board and barred him from holding any position in any positions of the cricket body, including state associations. This meant a life term ban.

The resolution was adopted 29-2 against Dalmiya. The two organsations that voted for him were the Cricket Association of Bengal, of which he is the president, and the National Cricket Club, Kolkata, of which also he is the chief. Signifcantly enough, he saw one-time loyalist Ranbir Singh Mahendra too voting against him.

Dalmiya now gets the right to appeal after three years for inclusion in the Board. The former BCCI chief has in the meantime strongly denied the charges. The meeting was presided over by BCCI President and Union Minister Sharad Pawar, with whom he has been having a running battle for over two years now.

Among the charges, Dalmiya has been accused of producing forged documents and misappropriation of funds to the tune of crores of rupees from the PILCOM accounts, formed for the World Cup 1996 co-hosted by the India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.