Ex-Indian cricket chief in court

Mr Dalmiya's lawyers say that he is the victim of a vendetta

The former chief of the International Cricket Council, Jagmohan Dalmiya, has appeared in court in Mumbai (Bombay) to face charges of embezzlement.

Mr Dalmiya denies accusations of a "criminal breach of trust" in events centred on the 1996 World Cup.

He is accused of misappropriating nearly 30m rupees ($747,897).

Mr Dalmiya - who is also the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India - was granted bail and ordered to return to court on 11 April.

The BBC's Prachi Pinglay in Mumbai says Mr Dalmiya appeared in court under tight security.

His lawyer, Satish Manashinde, told reporters that the charges had been brought against his client as part of a "political vendetta".

Mr Dalmiya was briefly arrested before being released on bail for 25,000 rupees ($623), Mr Manashinde said.

The case against him was filed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in March 2006.

Mr Dalmiya established a power base among the cricketing authorities in West Bengal state before joining the BCCI in 1979.

He served in various posts including president before becoming the first Asian to head the International Cricket Council in 1997.

After a three-year stint in charge, he returned to Indian cricket and took up the BCCI presidency once again.

He left the job in 2006.