The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned hearing of the Indian Premier League (IPL) betting and spot-fixing case, saying it was yet to go through the response filed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India to Justice (retd.) Mukul Mudgal’s probe report. The apex court bench headed by Justice A.K. Patnaik directed the hearing to be slated for March 25.
The Supreme Court set up a three-member committee headed by Justice Mudgal to file a detailed report into last year’s IPL scandal. Additional Solicitor General N. Nageshwar Rao and Assam Cricket Association (ACA) member Nilay Dutta, also a senior advocate, were the other members of the committee. The BCCI in its response has told the court that it would proceed against CSK only after an inquiry as per its rule.
The board has cited the divergence in the views of Mr. Mudgal and Mr. Dutta on the conduct of Gurunath Meiyappan, who was the team principal of Chennai Super Kings, owned by India Cements. Mr. Gurunath was arrested by Mumbai police last year for betting in IPL. He is the son-in-law of BCCI President N Srinivasan, who also heads India Cements.
Mr. Mudgal in his report to the Supreme Court has indicted Mr. Meiyappan in the IPL betting scandal. He also blamed India Cements for failing to comply with the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code for Participants. Mr. Mudgal said Mr. Meiyappan was “the face and team official” Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and “the allegations of betting and passing information” against him “stand proved”.
In a 171-page document submitted to the Supreme Court, Mr. Mudgal said the allegations of betting and fixing against Mr. Meiyappan as well as Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra need to be further investigated. The BCCI has appealed to the Supreme Court not to make public the cricketers named in the report. Mr. Mudgal in a sealed report to the court has submitted the names of six prominent cricketers, who could be involved in the sports fraud.
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