The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed N Srinivasan to take charge as Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president with a caveat that he would not interfere with the probe to be undertaken by a three-member committee into the charges of betting and spot-fixing during the Indian Premier League (IPL).
A bench of Justices A K Patnaik and J S Khehar gave formal sanction to a fresh probe panel, to be headed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court chief justice Mukul Mudgal and consist of Additional Solicitor General N Nagehswar Rao and Assam Cricket Association member Nilay Dutta.
The panel will inquire into the allegations of betting and spot-fixing allegedly involving Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra. It is to submit its report within four months.
The order came as a big relief to Srinivasan, who could not take charge of the apex cricketing body in the country despite his election, because the matter was pending in court.
During the hearing, the court did not allow a plea by the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) against Srinivasan assuming charge in the BCCI before completion of the probe.
However, the court directed the BCCI as well as Srinivasan, whose company India Cements owns the IPL team Chennai Super Kings, not to interfere with the fresh probe.
It directed them to cooperate with the panel by providing all information.
It also clarified that its order in no way casts any doubt or aspersion on former judges T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian, the members of the panel appointed by the BCCI earlier to inquire into the controversy, which had given Meiyappan a clean chit.
The bench said the new committee would probe all allegations levelled by the CAB in its petition.
The Bombay High Court on July 30 held that the two-member panel was constituted in violation of the rules framed by the BCCI.
