The Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court order barring Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N. Srinivasan from taking charge in case he was re-elected in the Board’s annual general meeting, scheduled to be held in Chennai on Sunday.
After the spot-fixing episode, this is the first time that any court has restrained Srinivasan in any way from functioning as a BCCI office-bearer.
On the Supreme Court order, CAB secretary Aditya Verma said, “It is a moral victory for us. In his affidavit before the Bombay High Court, Srinivasan said he was stepping aside as long as the probe was not over. After the Supreme Court’s order, it is now binding upon him to stay away from the Board’s functioning.”
Supporting Verma, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahai said, “His (Srinivasan’s) family, his company (India Cements) and his team (Chennai Super Kings) are all involved in the IPL. After the Supreme Court order, the BCCI should get rid of Srinivasan.”
Asked about the possibility of Srinivasan contesting the BCCI polls on Sunday, Sahai countered, “After the charge-sheet filed by the Mumbai police and the observation from the Supreme Court, is it correct for him to contest the elections?”
Hailing the Supreme Court order, former Test cricketer Surinder Khanna asked, “When the BCCI can expel Lalit Modi for a conflict of interest, can it have a different set of standards for Srinivasan? There should be uniform rules for everybody.”
Following allegations of Gurunath Meiyappan’s involvement in spot-fixing, the Board had formed a two-member committee, comprising former judges T. Jayaram Chouta and R. Balasubramanian, to investigate the matter and Srinivasan chose to step aside until the panel completed its probe.
Jagmohan Dalmiya, appointed as the BCCI interim chief, performed the functions of the president. After the probe panel gave a clean chit to all involved, Srinivasan returned to “perform his constitutional and statutory functions.”
It may be recalled that on July 30, the Bombay High Court had, on a petition filed by the CAB, ruled that the formation of the probe committee was “illegal and unconstitutional.”
In his petition, Verma had prayed for an interim injunction restraining Srinivasan from contesting for the post of president and the BCCI from making him part of any of its committees while restricting him from participating in any of the Board’s proceedings.
