New Delhi: Kunal Dasgupta, chief executive officer of Multi Screen Media, the television network business in India for Sony Pictures Television International, has quit the company with immediate effect at a time when it is trying to settle on-air sponsorship row with Indian Premier League.

The company in a statement said, Dasgupta is resigning due to personal reasons. It has now appointed Man Jit Singh, as chairman of the board of Multi Screen Media (MSM), to assume Dasgupta’s CEO duties on an interim basis.

Singh will lead the search for a new CEO, it added.

Since 1995 Dasgupta has been heading Sony Entertainment Television (SET), which later became MSM. His immediate departure comes at a time when the IPL governing council has sought clarifications from MSM over allegations by Reliance ADAG firm, Big TV of not giving it the first right to on-air sponsorship.

Big TV, which had signed up with IPL for on-ground sponsorship for Rs137 crore, had pulled out from the T20 league after Sony had signed an exclusive Rs30 crore deal with its rival Airtel Digital.

Repeated calls made to Dasgupta remained unanswered.

According to industry sources, top management at MSM was not happy with the way IPL is working in its season two.