BCCI meeting on June 10 to discuss Kundra issue

Sanjay Patel appointed Board secretary; Venkatesh in running for treasurer; No third member in fixing enquiry panel

With betting charges against Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra giving a new twist to the IPL scandal, a rattled BCCI was on Thursday forced to convene another Emergent Working Committee meeting in New Delhi on Monday to take stock of the crisis which has grown with each passing day.

Hours after it came to light that Kundra has allegedly confessed to betting in the IPL matches during his 11-hour interrogation by the Delhi Police, the BCCI said the issue would come up for discussion in the Working Committee meeting and strict action will be considered if required. “Raj Kundra issue will be discussed in the Working Committee, which is going to be held on June 10 and after we hear the details, if it demands any strict action, we will look into it,” BCCI’s Working Group chief Jagmohan Dalmiya told a press meet.

In the brief press conference, Dalmiya also made a few announcements regarding the vacant positions in the Board and about the constitution of the inquiry Commission.
Baroda Cricket Association’s Sanjay Patel will be the new BCCI Secretary while the post of the treasurer will be announced later.

It’s learnt that Tallam Venkatesh could be elected as the treasurer in the emergent committe meeting on June 10.

His name came up for discussion in the meeting on the day, but the Board members couldn’t reach a consenus in appointing the treasurer. He also said that no BCCI member will be part of the inquiry committee and the two retired High Court judges T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramaniam will form the two-member panel to probe allegations against BCCI chief N Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and CSK.

Both justices Chouta and Balasubramaniam were members of the original panel, which also had BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale as the third member. The committee had to be re-constituted following Jagdale’s resignation. Dalmiya was given the responsibility to choose the third member.

“I have decided that let there be a two-man commission. We pose full faith in the two retired judges and leave the matter to them. These two judges will carry on with the probe,” Dalmiya said. Dalmiya said there would be no time frame for the panel to submit the report to the BCCI since, “we want total justice and will go deep into it. We will not curtail inquiry.” Asked about Indian captain MS Dhoni’s alleged conflict of interest issues, Dalmiya said the BCCI will not cover up the matter but will wait for the ongoing Champions Trophy to be completed. “As far as Dhoni issue is concerned, you all have seen it in the papers and so have I. Let it come out... At this juncture, when we are in the midst of the Champions Trophy, we are not going to earn anything by disturbing the atmosphere. But at the same time, we are not going to cover it up,” he said. 

On whether Royals could face termination since one of the owners had brought the league into disrepute, he said the Board will wait. “How you come to a decision unless you look into it. At this juncture, it has just started. You will have to wait,” he said. On whether Raj Kundra’s wife Shilpa Shetty was also under the scanner, he said, “only Raj Kundra’s name has come up so far.”