HYDERABAD: Holding back the process of formation of cricket associations in all districts and municipal corporations, the Telangana High Court on Thursday temporarily suspended the October 15 memo issued by the principal secretary (sports) pertaining to the same.
Justice P. Madhavi Devi opined that the memo prima facie appeared to be against the directions of the Justice R.M. Lodha committee which made it clear that no minister or government servant should be part of any association.
The judge was dealing with a petition filed by the secretary of Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) Dharam Guruva Reddy, which challenged the memo that was issued by the government.
The TCA said that the memo was contrary to the Supreme Court approved BCCI Constitution and in violation of the recommendations made by the Justice Lodha panel. It submitted that based on a letter by the director general, ACB and the vice-chairman, supervisory committee of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) and the concerned minister who are not having any jurisdiction in the affairs of cricket administration controlled by the BCCI and its members.
The TCA secretary submitted that no minister or government servant can be part of any body’s executive body.
He also brought to the notice of the court that TCA has formed district cricket committees and they are existing, which ruled out the need for any new association.
Meanwhile, G.K. Deshpande, counsel for HCA, submitted that the memo had been issued at the behest of the supervisory committee that was formed to look into the affairs of the HCA. He said that the petitioner has no locus standi to file the writ petition as TCA was neither a member of the HCA nor of the BCCI.
After hearing the two contentions, the judge issued interim suspension of all the proceedings of the memo for a period of ten days. Meanwhile, BCCI and HCA were directed to look into objections of TCA and intimate the decisions to the TCA.
Issuing notices to principal secretary (youth and sports), BCCI, HCA and the director general, ACB, and vice-chairman, supervisory committee of HCA, the judge directed them to respond and adjourned the case to November 16.
