Supreme Court fixes BCCI president

Supreme Court fixes Srini: BCCI president told to quit as court hints at independent IPL probe

In a major setback to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N. Srinivasan, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked him to step down from the post, saying it was a prerequisite to an impartial probe into betting and spot-fixing in the last edition of Indian Premier League.

During an hour-long hearing marked by stinging observations against Srinivasan, the bench headed by Justice A.K. Patnaik strongly indicated that it would order an independent probe into the role of six capped players and officials - including Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan, earlier indicted by the Justice Mudgal panel - once his father-in-law Srinivasan is out of the way.

In a rare act the judges, who did not want to discuss the report in the sealed envelope in the open court given the "damaging and sensitive" nature of allegations, asked BCCI lawyer Aryama Sundaram, who was standing near the arguing desk, to come close to the dais and made him read the operative portion of the report to convince him that there was no other way than asking Srinivasan to quit.

"We don't like to damage people's reputation but unless the BCCI president steps down, there cannot be a fair investigation. Why is he sticking to the chair? It is nauseating. He has to go, if he does not, we will issue a verdict saying that," Justice Patnaik said.

Terming the allegations in the sealed envelope as "very, very serious", the court said even the probe committee was of the view that given its nature, the BCCI under him cannot be entrusted with the investigations.

"I am repeatedly asking what you will do with the probe panel report. Will you act according to it? This is the big, big question. First of all why is it happening? How will cricket remain clean?

The report says people in control were not taking the right action at the right time. The report has not come to any definite conclusion, but there are very serious allegations and say they require investigation. It says man at the top has to go for an independent probe," said the bench. 

The judges said the fact that a BCCI probe panel set up by Srinivasan, which was struck down by Bombay High Court as "illegal" on July 31 last year, had given a clean chit to himself and Meiyappan was testimony to the fact that it cannot conduct an independent probe.

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"You appointed a committee and we appointed a committee. Your committee gave a clean chit to some persons who were found guilty by our committee. Why this variance?

"Can we say your probe committee was managed? Your people managed the report and the findings?" the bench asked BCCI lawyer Sundaram. 

In a report submitted on February 10, the Justice Mudgal panel pointed fingers at the role of six capped players in spot-fixing and indicted Meiyappan for betting and passing on confidential information.

The panel had also termed as "serious" the questions being raised on conflict of interest in Srinivasan being the BCCI president and CEO of India Cements when his son-in-law is under the cloud, but left it to the court to decide on it. 

"Significantly, the issue of conflict of interest has been raised by several persons who are neither in the BCCI hierarchy nor are its beneficiaries. 

"It is serious and may have large scale ramifications on the functioning of cricket, we do not deem it proper to pronounce our opinion on the issue as it not directly in our terms of reference," the panel had said in its report submitted to the Supreme Court. 

The court asked Sundaram to take instructions and come back to court on March 27, the next day of hearing.

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Targeting Lalit Modi

In December 2013, Lalit Modi contested for the post of Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) president. The BCCI challenged his candidature in the Supreme Court on the ground that he is facing a life ban for financial irregularities in the IPL. 

The elections for RCA officebearers were held under the supervision of two retired Supreme Court judges and the votes were submitted to the apex court in a sealed envelope. 

Modi, according to the BCCI, has won the election. But the board is doing all it can to stop his return to cricket administration. The case is now pending in Supreme Court.

Going after the money

In 2011, BCCI cancelled the Rs 1,600- crore contract with Nimbus for broadcasting rights owing to a default in payment. The board had then sought to encash the guarantees, but was refused by the three banks - Punjab National Bank, Indian Bank and the Union Bank of India. 

The board filed a case against the three banks before the Bombay High Court, which directed the banks to deposit Rs 400 crore with the high court which would then redeposit the sums with the banks. 

Unhappy with the high court order, the BCCI moved the Supreme Court, which asked the banks to deposit Rs 400 crore within 15 days with the Bombay High Court Registry. It would then remit the money to the bank account of the BCCI.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2589265/IPL-investigation-Supreme-Court-asks-BCCI-president-quit-hints-ordering-probe-role-player-spot-fixing-charges.html#ixzz2x6b5nhC7
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