‘The Committee will decide who to meet, not the BCCI’

Soon after the BCCI announced the appointment of a panel comprising retired Supreme Court Judge Markandey Katju and three eminent counsels as “a single point interface” to interact with the Justice Lodha Committee, the decision was called into question.

A legal source, familiar with the PIL involving the BCCI and Cricket Association of Bihar, said: “Justice Katju is barred by the Constitution from acting on behalf of any entity after retiring as a Supreme Court judge.

“The Lodha Committee has summoned only [BCCI president Anurag] Thakur and [secretary] Ajay Shirke.

“The Committee will decide who to meet, not the BCCI.”

This individual further said: “Justice Lodha is interested in talking cricket and administration. This can be done only by talking to the BCCI president and secretary. Why have a screen now? I think the BCCI wants to escalate the situation and create a sort of a fracas. This is a violation of the order.”

It’s also understood that the BCCI approached Justice Mukul Mudgal, who probed the malpractices in the IPL, to appear on its behalf. Responding to a question if he would have appeared for the BCCI, Justice Mudgal said: “No.”