Dalmiya challenges BCCI in court

MUMBAI: Jagmohan Dalmiya on Tuesday approached the court seeking a stay on the hearing of the Board’s disciplinary committee before which he was asked to appear on Wednesday.

The former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, under suspension since April this year, filed a suit in a Kolkata civil court challenging the ‘legality and validity’ of the BCCI’s summons.

Dalmiya has also asked the court to issue an order to the BCCI not to give effect to his suspension from attending BCCI meetings as CAB president.

The case will come up for hearing on Wednesday morning.

The disciplinary committee is headed by Board president Sharad Pawar and includes Shashank Manohar and Chirayu Amin. Dalmiya was asked to attend before the committee at 1 pm in New Delhi on Wednesday. He was suspended on the grounds of misappropriation of Pilcom funds.

The BCCI, however, was unfazed by the development. “We’re seeking legal opinion. I don’t want to comment on it now,” its secretary Niranjan Shah said.

But sources said BCCI do not mind the stay.

“BCCI is constitutionally bound to complete the probe in six months from the the date of suspension. If Dalmiya wants a stay on the inquiry so be it. The suspension will stay,” a board sources told DNA.

The Board believes that suspension cannot be challenged as, pending inquiry, the the president is constitutionally authorised to suspend any member. The BCCI, however, decided to rush its lawyers to Kolkata.