SC raps Srini for attending BCCI meeting

The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned International Cricket Council chairman N Srinivasan for participating in the working committee meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) despite promising to keep himself aside.

The apex court also mooted a high-powered panel to decide the follow-up action on Justice Mudgal panel's findings, while observing that action must be initiated against Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan.

A bench of Justices T S Thakur and F M I Kalifullah asked Srinivasan how he attended the meeting despite giving an undertaking not to participate in BCCI's affairs.

“You stepped aside and started attending the working committee meeting as TNCA president. The whole idea was that you should distance yourself from the working of the BCCI,” the bench told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Srinivasan, who stepped down as BCCI president till the probe panel completed its proceedings.

Counsel admitted the mistake and proposed not to do so in future. “In retrospect, it may be correct. I take the point. I think the spirit should have been followed,” said Sibal.

The court also asked the BCCI to decide if its disciplinary committee could proceed against those found to have violated rules during IPL 2013.

Senior advocate Nalini Chidamabaram, appearing for Cricket Association of Bihar, pointed out that board officials' terms were not co-extensive, so they could not have participated in any board meeting.

During the hearing, the court said it wanted a high-powered committee to examine the charges with regard to a cover-up, and determine the quantum of punishment.
“There is no reason why an independent committee should not be set up to look into if there was a cover-up. We leave it to the committee to examine the issue. The question is, if so, what should be the quantum of punishment?” asked the bench.