The ways of the media is something better left alone for now, and instead focus on Lalit Modi, which is what this column is all about. Though as mentioned earlier, many a newspaper, magazine and news TV channels have come out with many aspects of Modi�s ways, there are still many facets which have been left undisclosed. That of a �fixer� par extra-ordinaire!

And these yet undisclosed facts lie in a note prepared by the Income Tax authorities with the assistance of its revenue intelligence wings. Apparently, these notes were prepared soon after, Modi twittered his way to infamy, by raising questions about the Kochi IPL franchisees. It is old hat what happened later, and how the suave and sophisticated, Shashi Tharoor lost his ministerial post and his lady friend, Sunanda Pushkar was virtually hounded out of the country, back to her comfortable confines in Dubai.

What is baffling while going through the IT department notes (published at the end of this column), obviously confidential and for internal circulation for their officers, is how with such skeletons in his cupboard, Modi had dared Tharoor!

Modi has now apparently replied to the notice issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with cartons of documents to support it. It should take some time before we come to know about what he has to say. Unless of course, he decides to twitter and let us know!

What he has said in his voluminous reply are matters connected to the IPL and his own connections and allegations made against him. The IT department note below, also mentions many of these things, and others. While many of issues related to IPL is already out in media, some others are still not.

The IT department notes points out some of these which are equally if not more interesting and shows the web of connections created by Modi and his friends and associates to enrich themselves. Let�s take some of the names which have emerged from these IT papers related to Modi and their activities in connection with IPL:

� Deepa Raizada�ex-investment banker, Equity Associates— handles cross border transactions, hawala and off shore companies
� R.K.Singh— ex-IAS officer, employee of Modi Entertainment Network(MEN)�owns service apartments in Powai, Mumbai
� Gaurav Burman of Promethean Fund
� Manoj Bedale�both Burman and Bedale fronting payoff from Betfair—an entity seeking to enter hospitality and casino business. Burman to receive equity on behalf of Lalit Modi.
� Akash Arora— owns Netlink Blue, a call centre BPO in Delhi— he is suspected to be fronting for Lalit Modi and probably holds shares on his behalf as nominee shareholder. Netlink is suspected to have underworld connections. Netlink has also been involved in bailing out Modi�s sick venture— Voyages TV.

The papers also mention about how Modi purchased a private jet, Challenger 304 for US $ 20 million, in 2008 from a shell company(refer papers below)
It also talks of transactions to acquire a Yacht in Malta and to be delivered either in Mumbai or Dubai.

Betting Racket
The IT papers also refer to possible betting rackets and names one Samir Thakral. Thakral, according to the papers, is a key associate of Lalit Modi and is a page 3 person in Delhi. He has been under the watch of the IT department earlier too, for his opulent lifestyle, but with no ostensible source of income. He is a permanent fixture at all IPL matches. The papers note that he carries out betting on behalf of Modi�cell phone records will indicate his constant interface with well known bookies, the papers note.
The betting, according to the IT papers, are related to team selection, venues of BCCI and IPL matches�about which Modi has insider information before it is announced.

The papers mentions how Sir Paul Condon of ICC, had complained that IPL is a threat to the game with outcome fixing— a lot of matches of IPL , especially involving three teams in which Modi has an interest. The names of the teams are not however mentioned.

Government Deals and contracts
While it is common public knowledge that Lalit Modi did many right and wrong things connected with the IPL, in making it one of the most successful and popular events in world sports, what is little known is his reputation as a �fixer� in many a government dealings.

It is this aspect of his personality, having been close to former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, under whose tutelage he came to the limelight even as a cricket administrator, which is mind-boggling. The deals he has fixed runs into hundreds and thousands of crores.

The detailed IT notes, makes it clear that the department has enough �fodder� on him, obviously collected over a period of time. Now that he is no more the blue-eyed boy of the cricketing establishment, it is likely that he will face the hot weather�hopefully.

The detailed list (see papers below) talks of his various deals and contracts he has facilitated, of course for a hefty �fee�. Incidentally all these relates to Rajasthan and during the tenure of Vasundhara Raje Scindia as the Chief Minister.
It is interesting to note that in this role as a �fixer�, he has associates ranging from former cricketers, Kailash Ghattani, a legendary Ranji cricketer who played for Rajasthan in the nineteen sixties and seventies, Michael Dalvi, known to be a close associate also of Vasundhara Raje Scindia, and also a charismatic cricketer who turned out for erstwhile Madras Ranji team in the sixties and seventies.
Others include, IAS Officers, ex-IAS officers who helped him fix deals with, large private sector power companies, real estate majors among others. Interestingly one of the ex-IAS Officers, Jagdish Chandra Qatil, the former Commissioner of Jaipur Development Authority, was a key associate of Modi in twisting and manipulating government rules to suit large real estate companies to buy lands in and around Jaipur, of course with Modi playing the middle-man in these deals for huge payoffs (see papers below for details).

What is interesting is that Qatil, left the service and joined Eenadu TV group, and is now its CEO. The shift from civil service to the CEO of the largest multi-language network of TV channels in India was facilitated by Modi, according to the IT papers. Qatil now holds complete control over the editorial as well as administrative matters of Eenadu TV.

The manipulations done by Qatil apparently in conduit with Modi had some of the biggest players in real estate development, Omaxe, Vatika and DLF groups, kowtowing to them and playing along to acquire huge tracts of lands, after paying a consideration for Modi and his associates.

Modi, the �fixer�, going by these internal papers of the Income Tax department, has played bigger havoc, than in the IPL.
How far the Government of India will go in investigating all these deals and �fix� the fixer and his associates is a moot point. However, it is learnt that a series of raids have been planned by the IT department in the coming days.