IPL spot-fixing case: Purity of cricket should be maintained, says SC to BCCI
Apex court calls BCCI the contractor and head of the contracting party on Monday
New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday maintained their strong stance against BCCI chief-in-exile N Srinivasan. The apex court observed: “You (SC said to his counsel Kapil Sibal) are a contractor and head of the contracting party. Is there no conflict?"
The court could kept raising questions on the “conflict of interest” issue citing Srinivasan being managing director of India Cements which owns Chennai Super Kings. They raised eyebrows on the fact of him owning an Indian Premier League team being a BCCI boss and further, Gurunath Meiyappan being indicted for the spot-fixing in 2013 who happens to be his son-in-law.
"Srinivasan is the vice chairman and managing director of India Cement Limited, an owner of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, his son-in-law is a team official and he is involved in betting. It is very difficult to accept the proposition that there is no conflict of interest.
"Your duty as BCCI head and the owner of CSK is pulling in different directions," it added.
The court further told the BCCI: "Purity of cricket has to be maintained and all persons at the helm of its affairs should be above suspicion."
The apex court told N Srinivasan, "Even likelihood of conflict of interest should be avoided."
SC to Srinivasan in IPL case : Even likelihood of conflict of interest should be avoided
— ANI (@ANI_news) December 8, 2014Petitioner and former secretary of Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) Aditya Verma said,
There is still time, BCCI should work to remove corrupt people from their Board: Aditya Verma (petitioner) on IPL spot fixing case
— ANI (@ANI_news) December 8, 2014BCCI president-in-exile N Srinivasan faced the gruelling task of refuting the observations of conflict of interest against him in the SC hearing – on the Indian Premier League (IPL) match-fixing scandal – on Monday.
Read: Supreme Court slams Srinivasan on conflict of interest between BCCI and IPL
In the last hearing, the apex court asked Srinivasan and Sibal to “lift the veil” on the issue of conflict of interest.
"The ownership of a team raises conflict of interest. President of BCCI has to run the show but you have a team which raises questions and it can't be wished away," the court had previously observed.
On the other hand, Sibal accused Srinivasan’s rivals of dragging him into the issue. The court also took strong exception to his counsel “repeatedly” naming finance minister Arun Jaitley in the proceedings. “He is not a party here. Don't attribute it to a person who is not represented here,” a bench comprising Justices T.S. Thakur and F.M.I. Kalifulla said.
It remains to be seen whether Srinivasan comes out clean before the BCCI AGM to be held on December 17.