The Star Group on Monday bagged the broadcast and digital rights of India's international cricket matches at home for a period of six years after bidding a whopping 3851 crore rupees.

The Rupert-Murdoch-owned company beat competition from Multi Screen Media (Sony) to bag rights for all international matches at home events like Ranji Trophy, Duleep


Trophy and the Irani Trophy starting from July 2012 till March 2018.

The company's six-year contract is valued at 3851 crore rupees and will cover 96 matches in all. Star and Multi Screen Media (Sony) were the only two companies to make the bids but a total of five had filed the tenders.

The BCCI is very happy with the deal. Now the media rights have been fully evaluated and fully priced with Star coming out with a such a deal, BCCI President N Srinivasan told reporters while making the announcement.

Star Group's India CEO Uday Shankar said that the company would provide good telecast of the matches.

Forest and Environment Minister Jayanti Natrajan introduced the Indian Forest Amendment Bill, 2012 in the Rajya Sabha today.

The Bill proposes to insert a new sub-section in section 68 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 to make it mandatory for the Forest officer to obtain and record the news of Gram Sabha before compounding the offence.

The purpose is to ensure the transparency in compounding of the offences and participation of the people at Gram Sabha level.

t Section 68 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 has provisions for compounding of offences.

It confers the power upon a Forest officer appointed by the State Government, to accept from any person against whom a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed any forest-offence, a sum of money by way of compensation for the offence which such person is suspected to have committed.