Lodha panel not to entertain plea unless referred by Supreme Court

The apex court has ruled that the R. M. Lodha committee’s role “shall hereafter be confined to overall policy and direction on such matters as may be referred by this court.”

The Supreme Court had in its July 18, 2016 verdict accepted most of the recommendations of the Lodha committee to reform the BCCI.

The Supreme Court has made it clear that Justice R. M. Lodha committee, which had recommended a slew of structural reforms in the BCCI, should not entertain any representation unless it is referred to by the top court.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said this after counsel appearing for the Lodha panel, which also comprises former apex court judges Ashok Bhan and R. V. Raveendran, sought a clarification on whether they should deal with the grievances in "respect of certain matters."

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"In our considered opinion and keeping in view the order dated January 2, Justice Lodha Committee may not entertain any further representation unless it is referred by this court," the bench, also comprising Justices A. M. Khanwilkar and D. Y. Chandrachud, said.

The top court had on January 2 this year said that a Committee of Administrators (CoA) shall supervise the administration of BCCI through its chief executive officer. It had further said "the role of the Justice R. M. Lodha committee shall hereafter be confined to overall policy and direction on such matters as may be referred by this court."

The apex court had later declared the names of members of the CoA, which was headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai, to run the affairs of BCCI and implement the court-approved recommendations of the Lodha panel on reforms in the cash-rich cricket body.

Lodha panel was formed in January 2015 in the wake of the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee report that called for reforms within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Mudgal panel had touched upon the state of affairs of the BCCI following the 2013 IPL betting and spot-fixing charges. The Supreme Court had in its July 18, 2016 verdict accepted most of the recommendations of the Lodha committee to reform the BCCI following charges of large-scale maladministration in the cash-rich cricket body.

It had approved Lodha panel recommendations such as one-state, one-vote, one member-one post and fixing an age-cap of 70 years on those occupying BCCI posts.