Supreme Court rejects BCCI’s three-member probe panel

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Apr 22, 2014: In the latest development of the ongoing IPL scam saga, the Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the three-member probe panel proposed by the Board of Cricket Control in India.

During the hearing, the apex court also gave Justice Mudgal Committee till 2 pm to decide whether they are willing to probe the case further with help of investigators. The Court had earlier directed the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) to suggest names of persons who will conduct a "fair probe" into the scam.

The Cricket Board on Sunday decided to propose to the apex court a fresh three-member panel comprising RK Raghavan, former director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Justice (retd.) JN Patel, former chief justice of the Calcutta High Court, and Ravi Shastri, former India skipper and renown commentator.

Earlier, the apex court, while turning down Narayanaswami Srinivasan`s plea to return to the helm of the Board`s affairs as its elected chief, has ruled that he cannot be given back the BCCI`s reins till he comes out clean in a probe conducted against him and 12 others, including India-capped cricketers, whose names have been mentioned by Justice Mudgal Committee report in the IPL corruption scandal. The directive also asked the board to reply on April 22 with definite corrective measures on how to assure a fair probe in the IPL scam.

A bench of justices A K Patnaik and F M Ibrahim Kalifulla, however, had expressed reservations over a SIT or CBI probe, saying that institutional autonomy of the Board has to be maintained and a committee constituted by the BCCI to look into the issue would be preferred.

"Having come to know the nature of allegations, we cannot close our eyes," the bench said, adding that it is concerned about the game of cricket in the country and not about individuals.

Referring to a sealed envelope report of Justice Mudgal committee, the bench said, "It (report) said all these allegations were brought to his (Srinivasan) notice but he did not take any action. That means he was aware about the allegations and did not take it seriously."

Interestingly, the Supreme Court refused to bar Srinivasan from attending International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings. The BCCI’s president-in-exile has been nominated as the next ICC chairman and set to assume the role in July.