The Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) submitted before the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the names of tainted cricketers in the Indian Premier League scam should be revealed and the full Mudgal committee report made public.
“It is better to know what the contents of the report are, instead of leaving it to speculation as the name of every cricketer is being tarnished in the media,” Harish Salve, senior counsel for CAB, said.
BCCI counsel Aryama Sundaram and Mr. Srinivasan’s counsel, Kapil Sibal, opposed revealing the names.
Mr. Salve said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had failed to take effective action against betting-accused Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of N. Srinivasan, who stepped down as BCCI chief following the IPL scam; India Cements; or players otherwise employed by the Chennai Super Kings team. The entire machinery of BCCI officials sought to protect them.
“If Meiyappan was leaking information and someone else was putting bet then it is like insider trading,” the Bench of Justices T.S. Thakur and F.M.I. Kalifulla said.
Mr. Salve said Mr. Srinivasan, through India Cements, had told the Mudgal committee that Mr. Meiyappan was only a “cricket enthusiast” and had nothing to do with the Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings. But the committee’s categorical finding was that Mr. Meiyappan was a CSK “team official.”
He said the BCCI was discharging public functions and its rules recognised that all matches should be played on a level-playing field. He conceded that cricket was popular in India because of its efforts. However, to restore public confidence and to ensure the purity of the sport, it was time the BCCI came clean.
“It is also necessary that on account of sufficient material and proof of Mr. Meiyappan being involved in betting and passing insider information, and looking to the fact that the CSK failed in its obligations in preventing its team official in maintaining the requisite degree of conduct, the franchise of the CSK is liable to be terminated forthwith,” he said.
Arguments will continue on Thursday.
Published - November 25, 2014 07:29 pm IST
