The BCCI on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that Zee TV's writ petition challenging cancellation of the tender process for award of cricket telecast rights was not maintainable.

Opening the argument before a five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice N Santosh Hegde, BCCI counsel K K Venugopal said the Board was an autonomous body, promoting cricket in India and had nothing to do with the government.

As it had no links with the government and did not receive any grant from the government the Board could be described as "state" within the meaning of the Article 12 of the Constitution, Venugopal said.

For these reasons a writ petition could be maintained against the Cricket Board, he said continuing the argument.

The apex court had on Monday issued notices to the BCCI, ESPN-Star Sports and the Centre on a petition filed by Zee Telefilms Ltd challenging the cancellation of award of cricket match telecast rights to it.

Zee TV said the Board had entered in a mala fide manner to cancel the award of telecast rights to it and alleged that the entire drama before the Bombay High Court was enacted to benefit one foreign sports channel.

Board had on September 21 cancelled the entire tender process in which Zee had emerged as the highest bidder for telecast of all cricket matches played in India between 2004-08.

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