ESPN-Star Sports has demanded a public apology from Subhash Chandran, chairman of Zee Telefilms, following his comments after the Board of Control for Cricket in India said it will go in for a fresh tender for its telecast rights.

"We have been shocked by the irresponsible statements made to the media by Mr Subhash Chandra, Chairman, Zee Telefilms Limited alleging collusion between the BCCI and ESPN STAR Sports in the matter of the BCCI cricket rights, which concluded before the Honorable Mumbai high court yesterday, September 21, 2004," a statement from ESPN-Star Sports said on Wednesday.

It added: "ESPN-Star Sports completely denies these baseless allegations, which have been made by Mr Subhash Chandra with the malafide intention of tarnishing the reputation of ESPN-Star Sports."

ESPN-Star Sports called upon Zee to immediately cease, what it called, defamatory activities, and issue an unqualified public apology for the statements made, failing which, it said, it reserves the right to take appropriate remedial legal action against Zee Telefilms Limited for slander and defamation.

Zee Telefilms had on Tuesday accused the BCCI and ESPN-Star Sports of hatching a "conspiracy" and said it would go in for legal action against the BCCI's decision to go in for a fresh tender for its telecast rights.