New Delhi: The Indian cricket board on Wednesday opposed constitution of an external high-powered committee to propose punishment on the Mudgal Committee findings saying that it would affect its autonomy. It also got permission from the top court to put off its AGM, scheduled to be held on Dec. 17, to a date on or before January 31, 2015. The bench also heard his lawyers say on behalf of the exiled BCCI president that Mr Srinivasan would keep away from the IPL governing council if he stood for election and won as President of BCCI. He also promised not to attend working committee meetings if the subject of IPL was involved.
Wednesday's hearing saw for the first time Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, who has been indicted by Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee for betting in the IPL, taking the opportunity to explain his stand. He maintained that he would not like to disclose whether he was a team official of CSK or not as any disclosure would prejudice him in the trial court where he is facing a betting case. "I have a right to silence," his counsel Siddharth Luthra said while maintaining that Meiyappan is facing trial and that the issue whether he is a CSK official will arise there.
The bench also observed that "You have taken this stand after BCCI and India Cements Ltd, the owners of CSK, have accepted that you are a team official. Still you want to stay non-committal."A bench headed by Justice T S Thakur also posed questions on the lines of should the actions of Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra lead to cancellation of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Rajasthan Royals (RR) teams.
"We are still in the process of hearing which will take some time to conclude," the Bench observed at the end of the hearing directing postponement of the BCCI's December 17 Annual General Meeting (AGM) for election of office bearers, which is now to be held on or before January 31, 2015.It passed the order after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Srinivasan said that since the hearing was not likely to be completed before Dec. 17, the election of office bearers has to be postponed, with which point it agreed.
The BCCI counsel said the Board will have to issue notice of three weeks for holding the election. For the first time in the history of BCCI, the AGM has been postponed, thrice from September 26 to November 20 and then to December 17 and now to a date on or before Janaury 31, 2015.
