New Delhi: Sidelined cricket control board chief Narayanswami Srinivasan continues to find himself out in the cold, at least in the eyes of the Supreme Court.
On Friday, a further probe into the Indian Premier League was returned to former high court judge Mukul Mudgal with greater powers to investigate the contents of a sealed envelope that the first iteration of the panel had handed over to the apex court.
Justice Mudgal, who had led the preliminary inquiry into alleged corruption, fixing and conflict of interest issues in the IPL will continue to have additional solicitor general L. Nageswara Rao and Nilay Dutta for company on the committee along with former senior police officer B.B. Mishra.
Mishra is presently the deputy director general of the Narcotics Control Bureau.
The envelope submitted to the Supreme Court by the first Mudgal panel is said to contain charges and allegations against Srinivasan and 12 cricketers allegedly involved in the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal that erupted towards the end of the sixth edition of the tournament last year.
Reacting to the development, the petitioner, Cricket Association of Bihar secretary Aditya Verma — who has been battling Srinivasan’s stranglehold on the BCCI since June last year — said in a statement, “I am fully satisfied with the order passed by the Honourable Supreme Court on Friday giving all power to former High Court judge Mukul Mudgal to investigate the spot-fixing and corruption in the IPL VI last season.
“The committee will also investigate the 13 names including one of N. Srinivasan that was presented to Supreme Court in a sealed envelope on February 10,” Verma added.
Besides Mishra, the committee will be assisted by a senior police officer each from the Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi forces. It will also included one former cricketer “of repute and integrity”, to be chosen by the Mudgal panel. On the day, the Supreme Court also rejected a suggestion from the BCCI for its own investigations on the basis that the Mudgal report contained “erroneous” findings.
“We are of the considered opinion that the allegations against the 13 persons, including Mr N. Srinivasan mentioned in the report submitted in the sealed cover, should be investigated into by the Justice Mudgal Committee and the team of investigators because if a new probe committee is entrusted to inquire into the allegations, there is likelihood of the allegations being leaked to the public and such leakage will damage the reputation of the 13 persons beyond repair,” the bench said.
Till such time that the Mudgal committee was involved in the matter, Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav will continue in their respective interim roles or until further orders.
The bench rejected a suggestion by the BCCI’s counsel that it pass a final decision by the first week of August.
The board’s annual general elections take place at the end of September and Srinivasan is likely to be renominated for the presidency, even though it is the turn of East Zone to propose a candidate for the post.
The Supreme Court also ordered the Government of India and state governments to offer their full support to the Mudgal Committee.
