Fall in line or face serious consequences, SC tells BCCI

For the entire 50-minute duration on Thursday when three-member bench of Supreme Court was hearing the BCCI matter, three senior board officials — CK Khanna, Amitabh Choudhary and Anirudh Chaudhry — were made to stand inside the courtroom and explain their failure to implement recommended reforms.

The bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra asked the BCCI officials to explain their lack of initiative and ability to push forward the Justice Lodha Committee reforms in the Special General Meeting (SGM) held on July 26.

Threatened with initiation of contempt proceedings against them, the three were left with no other option but to make a submission that "they will extend absolute cooperation in implementation of the Lodha reforms". The court then gave the three one last opportunity "to suggest their suggestions regarding what the new BCCI constitution ought to be within next three weeks".

This slight reprieve, however, came with a rider that "the suggestions by three shall include the suggestions given by the Justice Lodha Committee in its entirety".

All three have again be asked to present inside the courtroom on the next date of hearing (October 30) and any attempt seen from their side to not abide by Apex court orders would lead to "serious consequences".

The bench, which also comprised Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, further observed that the court is ready to debate on three core issues — one state one vote, increasing the strength of selection panel from three to five and inclusion of Railways, Services and Inter-varsity as voting member — once draft constitution is placed on record.

However after the hearing, BCCI acting secretary Choudhary told DNA that "he will submit his own set of suggestions which will also include relaxation in cooling off period".

"In order to have continuity in BCCI administration, it is important that all officials should not go into cooling off period at one go. I would urge the court to reconsider having just one cooling off, instead of present two, in nine year tenure. Rest is up to the court," said Choudhary.

DNA reported two days back on how acting president Khanna-controlled Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) rejected key recommendations of Justice Lodha panel during a SGM on Sept. 15. Khanna or for that matter no other association now have a chance to stall the Lodha reforms after witnessing the mood of the Court on Thursday.

The fifth status report filed by SC-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) had described the attitude of the BCCI office-bearers as that of "veiled non-cooperation" and sought the removal for their non-compliance with the principal judgement of July 18, 2016.

There is finally a good news for Puducherry-based cricketers after SC bench ordered the COA to recognise an apex body there within two weeks to run cricketing affairs in the union territory.

The SC in its April 10 orders asked BCCI affiliation committee, led by Anshuman Gaekwad, to file their report regarding cricket infrastructure in the UT. With committee report already lying with COA, court now has ordered it to file their final submission after "a round of final discussion with three warring groups there" in a sealed envelop which could be announced during the course of next hearing.

This has paved the way for Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP), the only functional body in the UT, to be BCCI's next member. DNA had reported on how BCCI former president N Srinivasan-backed PCA has been "dormant or inactive" for many years as per a letter dated August 5, 2016 by Registrar of Companies (Puducherry) for not filing financial statements regularly.