IPL scam: Srini can't contest BCCI polls; Meiyappan-Kundra involved in betting, rules SC
However, top court gives clean chit to BCCI chief-in-exile on cover-up allegations
New Delhi: In a setback to N Srinivasan, the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday barred him from contesting any Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) elections on grounds of conflict of interest and set up a judges committee under a former Chief Justice of India to decide on the punishment in the Indian Premier League (IPL) scam that can threaten the future of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Read: IPL spot-fixing case: How the saga unfolded
Delivering its long-awaited verdict, the court held that the allegation of betting against Gurunath Meiyappan, a CSK team official and son in law of the BCCI president-in-exile and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra stands proved while the charge of cover up against Srinivasan "is not proved".
Striking down rules that permitted BCCI office bearers to have a commercial interest by owning teams in the hugely-popular IPL and Champions League, a two-member bench of Justices T S Thakur and F M I Khalifulla, said, "Amendment in the BCCI rules allowing Srinivasan to own IPL team is bad as conflict of interest in cricket leads to great confusion."
"No one who has commercial interest including N Srinivasan shall be eligible for any post in the BCCI and this disqualification on ground of commercial interest shall continue till such commercial interest will exist," the bench said while asking BCCI to hold its AGM for electing office bearers within six weeks.
Read: SC names Srini, Meiyappan, Raj Kundra among those probed
Reading out from the judgement, Justice Thakur said the "allegation of cover up" in the probe of IPL spot fixing and betting against Srinivasan over the involvement of Meiyappan are "not proved" and "at best there's only a case of suspicion against Srinivasan of cover up".
It said not only players and team officials but "franchisees will also be punished for misconduct".
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The future of CSK and IPL could be in danger as IPL rules provide for cancellation of the franchise for misconduct by players, owners and officials of a team.
SC holds as unsustainable and impermissible amendment in BCCI rule permitting cricket administrator to have commercial interest in IPL and Champions League.
Welcoming the verdict, , head of IPL betting probe committee Justice Mukul Mudgal on Thursday said that it will have far reaching ramifications as it will also impact on all sports bodies.