No April Fool: Dhoni received real World Cup trophy, clarifies customs officials

THE Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) under the ministry of finance has denied that the original ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 trophy was lying in the Airport Customs Warehouse in Mumbai. The clarification was issued in response to a section of reports claiming that Dhoni and his boys received just a replica of the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy as the real one remained with customs officials stationed in Mumbai airport. As media reports slammed the customs officials for retaining the “trophy”, the only saviour for the customs was a letter dated April 1, 2011, incidentally the day of April Fool. None other than low profile CBEC chairman SD Majumdar reached out to media and showed ICC tournament director’s letter in front of TV camera to prove that the customs officials actually retained the replica of the trophy and the not the real one.

Here is the story line.

Two passengers by the name of Mrs Emma Waite and Mr Rixon Heyder, arrived by Flight 9W 255 on 1st April, 2011 at Mumbai airport from Colombo. They were carrying a trophy in their personal baggage which was claimed to be ‘ICC Perpetual Trophy’. All goods and equipments imported temporarily for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 tournament, a list of which was given by the ICC Tournament Committee, have been exempted from customs duty. However, the list given by the ICC Tournament Committee did not cover the aforesaid trophy which was claimed by the passengers to be ‘ICC Perpetual Trophy’, the CBEC release said.

To remove all doubts, the concerned customs officers contacted the ICC tournament director and enquired about the said ‘trophy’, so that appropriate action could be taken expeditiously and the matter resolved. In response, professor RS Shetty, tournament director of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in a letter dated April 1, 2011 addressed to commissioner of customs, Air Cargo Complex, Sahar, Mumbai informed that:

i) The ‘trophy’ in question was not to be used for any purpose inside the country for the ongoing World Cup;

ii) It was being carried by Mrs Emma Waite and Mr Rixon Heyder as their personal baggage and that it would have been taken back to the ICC Headquarters on completion of their assignment in India;

iii) That the trophy shall be collected by the above passengers on their way back to their destination;

A request was also made in the letter of Professor Shetty that the customs office may hold the trophy in the customs warehouse at the Mumbai airport till it is collected by the concerned passengers on their return.

Action and Appointments

a) The ministry of minority affairs discussed various issues related to the implementation of programmes for the welfare of minorities with principal secretaries or secretaries of states or UTs on Monday. Vivek Mehrotra, secretary in ministry of minority affairs, inaugurated the meeting.

b) MA Gnnapathy, a 1986 batch Uttarakhand cadre IPS has been appointed as joint secretary (Naxal Management) in the ministry of home affairs in place of Dr Kashmir Singh, a 1978 batch UP cadre IPS.