In its fight to make a comeback in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings on Thursday filed an affidavit in the Madras High Court, seeking a stay on the order of the Lodha Committee and permission for the team to take part in the matches.
The petitioner also argued that neither the CSK management nor its players were found guilty of betting or match-fixing. Gurunath Meiyappan never had shares in India Cements, nor was he in the management of the company, the petition contended.
The affidavit argued that the Lodha Committee’s order went against the fundamental principles of natural justice and fair hearing, non-compliance of which was evident from a finding of the committee that the only task left to the committee was imposition of appropriate punishment on the franchise without going into the charges or the offence committed.
The petitioner feared that the other star players of the team would also be gradually selected by others. The affidavit added that the inability to retain the star players would force CSK to build a team from scratch with available talent, when it is allowed into the league again. And it was not sure whether such a team would be efficient enough to compete with the other teams.
The petition said the Justice Lodha Committee had failed to note that the very reason for appointing a high level committee comprising former judges of the apex court was that they could look into the findings of the Mudgal committee. The Supreme Court had categorically held they were not sitting in appeal over the findings of the Mudgal committee nor were they inclined to look into the materials which were placed before the said committee. The Lodha committee always had the authority to call for the material forming the basis of the Justice Mudgal committee reports as observed by the apex court in its recent order dated August 7, 2015, claimed the petitioner.
