The Supreme Court yesterday disclosed the names of four key cricket personalities, including sidelined BCCI president N Srinivasan, who were investigated by the Justice Mudgal Committee for allegations of spot fixing and betting in the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The development resulted in scathing comments from the cricketing fraternity and demands for the guilty to be “put behind bars” besides the Indian cricket board once again postponing its much-awaited AGM and annual elections.

The apex court bench comprising justice TS Thakur and justice FM Kalifullah said those under the Mudgal scanner were Srinivasan, his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, BCCI chief operating officer (COO) Sunder Raman, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra and at least three yet unnamed players.

In the wake of the developments, the BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the subsequent elections - scheduled for November 20 - were put on hold for another four weeks.

The BCCI had earlier postponed its AGM and annual elections after the Supreme Court ignored pleas to reinstate Srinivasan in his post as board chief on September 1.

The court bench yesterday said the Mudgal committee report dealing with the conduct and role of the quartet in the spotlight would be given to these four people as well as to the BCCI and the petitioner Cricket Association of Bihar for their respective rejoinders.

The court, however, said the identity of the players named in the report will be held back for the time being.

The court said it would make the report available to lawyers on both sides so that they can make their arguments when the next hearing takes place November 24.

The court said all the parties will file their objections to the report within four days of its receipt and they will have the liberty to file responses to rival objections in another four days and directed the listing of the matter for November 24.

“We have seen the report. It does suggest some misdemeanour on the part of certain individuals,” justice Thakur said at the outset of the hearing.

“We have had an occasion to go through the report. There are certain findings recorded by the Mudgal Committee, which may be understood to be indicting some persons with regards to whom inquiry was conducted,” the court said in the course of the hearing.

The committee’s findings drew scathing comments from the cricketing fraternity amidst demands for the guilty to be “put behind bars”.

Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said all individuals named by the court should be jailed.

Petitioner in the IPL corruption case Aditya Verma said Srinivasan has ruined BCCI’s reputation while former Indian skipper Bishan Singh Bedi also welcomed the court’s decision.

BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla, however, said these developments do not jeopardise India’s forthcoming tour of Australia and they are not in any hurry to hold elections.

Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar also criticised the Board’s decision to postpone the AGM, saying it was against the board’s constitution.

In another development, a court yesterday fixed Dec 8 for commencing arguments on the issue of framing charges against accused cricketers S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan and others in the IPL spot-fixing case.

 

 

 

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