Bcci Srinivasan Must Step Down -- Supreme Court

[timmy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_ummxZG9DA

[timmy]

Supreme Court recommends that Srinivasan step down

 

The Supreme Court of India has asked BCCI president N Srinivasan to step down as the first step towards a fair investigation into the IPL corruption saga. A two-man bench of the apex court has made the observation and given Srinivasan two days to take a decision, before issuing its verdict on Thursday.

While the recommendation is not a direct order, Justice AK Patnaik said that failure to act upon the court's observation would mean that on Thursday it would have to pass an order and make it "mandatory" for Srinivasan to step down. The situation with regard to corruption in the IPL and the BCCI's response to it was described as "nauseating." PTI reports that the court stated that while it could not divulge details of the sealed envelope given to them by the Mudgal panel, the BCCI's lawyers were shown certain portion of the report. Justice Patnaik is reported to have said that there were "very, very serious allegations" in the sealed envelope and "unless the BCCI president steps down" no fair probe can be conducted.

The hearing began with the BCCI lawyers making their statements stating that the BCCI agreed with the findings of the Mudgal panel report and asked the court to allow the BCCI to take its own actions in the light of panel recommendations. That was turned down by the court.

Srinivasan would not comment on the issue saying he had not "read" the court's recommendations. It is understood that most senior BCCI officials are in Dubai for a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council. Srinivasan is in Chennai and it is possible that other officials may be summoned there for an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning. "It is too early to say how exactly this will affect the BCCI. For the moment the court ruling will not have any impact on the IPL," a senior BCCI official said. According to him the BCCI has planned called for no emergent meeting as of now. "The BCCI cannot ask Srinivasan to resign. It is his individual decision," the official said.

[timmy]

etu tappinchukokunda anni daarulu mooseyyaali. 

[timmy]

Nauseating that N. Srinivasan continued as BCCI chief: Supreme Court

 

The Supreme Court has asked N. Srinivasan to step down as BCCI president to ensure a fair probe of the Indian Premier League fixing and betting scandal. Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, who was a team official of Chennai Super Kings, has been indicted by a Supreme Court appointed inquiry committee of betting and sharing team information. (Top-10 developments in the case)

"In our opinion, Srinivasan has to step down for a fair investigation into the allegation of betting," said Justice A.K. Patnaik in the course of the hearing the Justice Mukul Mudgal report that went into the allegations of betting and spot fixing in the IPL. "It's nauseating that N. Srinivasan continued as BCCI chief, he should go if cricket has to be cleaned," the court said. Meanwhile, Srinivasan has refused to comment on the issue, saying he will "study the court order". The case will come up for hearing again on March 27.

As senior counsel C.A. Sundaram sought to defend BCCI, Justice Patnaik said: "We will show the papers. You see it and tell us as a counsel about your opinion and not as a paid counsel for Srinivasan."

At one stage, comparing the two reports - one by an earlier inquiry committee comprising two retired judges of the Madras High Court and the other by Justice Mudgal appointed by the apex court, Justice Patnaik asked: "Can we say that the probe report was managed and if we say so, then what will be the consequences." The apex court added: "Why is Srinivasan sticking to his chair? If you don't step down, then we will pass the order."

The Mudgal committee submitted two reports to the Supreme Court on February 10. The first, signed by retired judge Justice Mudgal and Additional Solicitor General of India L. Nageswara Rao, asked the court to "decide the further course of action" because the probe committee did not have the power to impose punishment. Another supplementary report, signed by Nilay Dutta, a vice-president of Assam Cricket Association and a member of the IPL Governing Council, said: "This should not be misinterpreted to mean that the report suggests that the Hon'ble Court would decide on the punishment or penalty to be imposed." 

The BCCI, which is backing Dutta's comments, wanted the Supreme Court to let it start fresh disciplinary proceedings against Gurunath and Chennai Super Kings under the IPL franchise rules. The Supreme Court is not willing to do and has instead asked Srinivasan to step down. (BCCI requests top court not to divulge the contents of the envelope)

Last July, a two-member BCCI-appointed panel comprising a pair of retired judges (T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian) had found "no evidence of any wrongdoing" on the part of Gurunath and Rajasthan royals co-owner Raj Kundra. However, the Mudgal panel pointed out that the question of whether or not Gurunath had been involved in match-fixing and spot-fixing "not been investigated thoroughly" by the anti-corruption units of the ICC and the BCCI or the Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Department of the Chennai police, "even though some information was available for such an investigation to be conducted."