SC to hear CoA's plea on disqualified office bearers on April 17

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) today moved the Supreme Court seeking clarification on whether persons, rendered ineligible to hold posts in BCCI and state cricket associations, can be nominated to take part in the ICC meeting scheduled on April 24.

 

Referring to former BCCI president N. Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) objected to disqualified persons who are over 70 years of age from being nominated to represent BCCI at the ICC meet scheduled on April 24, 2017.

“A man disqualified, stands disqualified,” Justice Dipak Misra, leading the Bench comprising Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, observed orally.

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However, member State cricket associations of the BCCI sought a detailed hearing on the point whether such disqualifications — first proposed by the Justice Lodha Committee and later confirmed by the Supreme Court in its judgment – pertain only to person who attempt to become office-bearers.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for State cricket associations and government bodies who are BCCI members, said the disqualifications do not apply to persons who participate in the BCCI meets to select nominees for the ICC meeting.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium intervened as amicus curiae to ask whether a man found not eligible to contest BCCI polls should go to ICC?

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"There is a cap of 70 years given by this court. It is difficult to comprehend that a man who is not eligible goes to ICC to represent the BCCI. We do not want violation of our orders," Justice Misra remarked orally.

The court found that the question required debate and posted the matter for hearing on April 17. Meanwhile, the CoA, led by former former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai, submitted that it had already filed its third report on April 6 in the court.

Senior advocate C.U. Singh, appearing for the CoA, asked whether persons like N. Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah, who have been rendered ineligible by virtue of the court judgement, can be nominated by their respective state associations to take part in the ICC meeting as nominees of BCCI.

Earlier, the court had accepted major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms in BCCI including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 from becoming its members.