The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would hear issues relating to the Board of Control for Cricket in India after two weeks. This includes a BCCI plea to modify its constitution as well as applications for the release of funds to the state associations.
It is as yet unclear if the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah can continue as office bearers in the meantime instead of going on a mandatory cooling-off period for now.
While Times of India reported that this offers temporary relief to the duo, ESPNCricinfo stated that the questions remain over the matter.
The plea came up for hearing on Wednesday before a bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justice L Nageswara Rao.
The postponement came after request by Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General of India who was representing BCCI, requested for the case to be heard along with the applications for the release of funds to the state associations, according to a report by Cricbuzz.
According to the BCCI’s new constitution, a cooling-off period of three years is mandatory after serving for six years as an office-bearer in either a state association or the Board. Ganguly and Shah took charge of the BCCI last October with only nine nine months left for their cumulative six years in the state and national unit to get completed. As per the new constitution, Ganguly’s term comes to an end at the end of this month (July 27) while Shah’s tenure is reportedly already ended.
However, BCCI had proposed amendments in the constitution in its first SGM including this eligibility criteria and filed a civil appeal for it to be approved by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the advocates appearing for cricket associations of Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh told the bench that they have filed applications in the other matter and they should be listed for hearing.
“I am appearing for Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. We have filed an IA which is not listed today. So, kindly direct that our IA be listed for hearing in the court,” senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, told the bench.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, also said that application filed by them has not been listed.
The bench said these applications would be taken up for hearing after two weeks.
Recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General has also moved the top court seeking modification of its 2016 order and to enable it to annually or biennially undertake financial, compliance and performance audit of the BCCI and state cricket associations.
The CAG, in its application, has sought modification of the July 18, 2016 order by which the apex court had accepted the recommendations of Justice R M Lodha committee, including the one regarding inclusion of a nominee of the CAG in the apex council of the BCCI and also in the governing council of Indian Premier Leauge.
It has said that out of the 35 state cricket associations, only 18 have requested nominations till date and these have been made by the CAG while the remaining 17 are yet to approach the nominating officers.
With PTI Inputs