Srinivasan named in IPL probe report: SC

The apex court, thereby, said that Srinivasan cannot perform any duties of BCCI and that its interim order of Mar 28 will stand. 

 

The court has asked the BCCI to reply on how it will conduct a probe into the match-fixing and betting allegations against those named in the report .

 

The SC wants BCCI to do the probe itself to maintain its functional autonomy; however, in such case, Srinivasan cannot be part of the BCCI. It also suggested the appointment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) if the BCCI doesn't probe the matter.

 

Meanwhile, based on recommendation of Board's interim head Sunil Gavaskar, the court has said that Sundar Raman can continue as the Chief Operating Officer of the IPL. 

 

Srinivasan on Tuesday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court (SC) questioning his removal from the top post of the Indian cricket board.

 

"I respectfully submit that I am constrained to place the above sequence of facts on record because I am highly aggrieved by the unfair and unsubstantiated allegations made against me in the course of hearing of the above matter on 27-03-2014," Srinivasan said in the affidavit.

 

"Further, I am personally not aware of the reason why this Hon'ble Court orally expressed that I should not continue as President of BCCI," he said.

 

He has also put forward several records in his affidavit.

 

"To the best of my knowledge, there are no audio tapes of conversations between Mr.Vindoo Dara Singh and Mr.Gurunath Meiyappan available in public domain. The report of the Probe Committee has not enclosed any such audio tapes. I am not aware if the sealed envelope submitted to this Hon'ble Court by the Probe Committee contains such material but I am advised that such recordings would be part of the charge-sheet filed by Mumbai Police in the court of Additional metropolitan Magistrate, 37th Court Esplanade Mumbai. Therefore, there is absolutely no possibility of anyone being in possession of such audio recording, much less the petitioner," the affidavit read.

 

Having provided more details about himself, India cements and its employees and as well as of BCCI employees, Srinivasan said, "I am saying this to bring out the fact that recommending known resource has been the practice in BCCI and singling me out as though I have committed a grave indulgence for my personal benefits without an iota of proof is very unfair."

 

In the affidavit, he said, "I humbly submit that I have already set out the circumstances under which I gave my offer to this Hon'ble Court to step aside from my position as President BCCI, till an independent investigation was completed."

 

"Now the circumstances are quite different in that it clearly appears to me that the only the unsubstantiated allegations made by G. Sampath Kumar to the Probe Committee that I was responsible for his transfer and suspension and therefore I interfered with CB-CID investigation contributed to the severe comments made by this Hon'ble Court on 25.03.2014. I am filing an interim application for urgent directions that the CB-CID, Tamil Nadu be directed to immediately furnish a report to this Hon'ble Court on their case against Mr. Sampath Kumar and the reasons for his transfer and suspension, which may be considered in the facts of the case."

 

" As stated earlier, I had nothing to do with any investigation done by the said person, or any other agency for that matter. Hence, I wish to assume office as President BCCI as there is no reason at all why I should step aside, pending any investigation into any crime being investigated by CB-CID or other agency," his affidavit  said.

 

The Supreme Court last month ordered Srinivasan to resign from his post to ensure a fair probe in the IPL spot-fixing case.

 

A two-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice AK Patnaik and Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla had heard the inquiry reports submitted by the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee on the scam.

 

The Indian Premier League Probe Committee, headed by Justice (Retd) Mukul Mudgal, who had been appointed by the Supreme Court to look into IPL 6 scam, submitted its report on Feb 10 where it found Srinivasan's son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team's Gurunath Meiyappan guilty of match-fixing.

 

The 170-page report, filed in the Supreme Court said Meiyappan had fixed and put bets on IPL matches.

 

The Supreme Court also installed former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar as the interim chief of the BCCI replacing  Srinivasan for the Indian Premier League (IPL) seventh edition affairs.

 

While Gavaskar now heads the affairs of the cash rich cricket league that is mired in controversy over spot fixing and betting, the non-IPL chief of BCCI is former Indian cricketer Shivlal Yadav. 

 

The seventh edition of IPL commences in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday evening.