BCCI gets temporary relief, SC to hear case on October 17

SC had given an ultimatum to BCCI to submit an undertaking that it would agree to implement Lodha panel's directives

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) got a temporary respite as the Supreme Court postponed the hearing of the case till 17 October. 

The apex court had on Thursday gave the board an ultimatum to submit an undertaking that it would unconditionally agree to implement all the recommendations of the Lodha committee. A Bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur gave the BCCI till Friday to submit the undertaking. 

The apex court barred the cricket board from releasing funds to state associations. It said state associations will not get funds unless a resolution is passed to implement Justice Lodha committee reforms.

Amid a tensed courtroom fight, Justice Thakur asked the BCCI whether the board was willing to implement the recommendations or not.

The BCCI is yet to give the underwriting shout by the court.

The court also asked BCCI President Anurag Thakur to file a personal affidavit on details of his conversation with ICC Chief Dave Richardson regarding Lodha recommendations.

The long drawn battle that started in 2014 when a public interest litigation (PIL) came in the court alleging wrongdoings on BCCI's part. An apex court bench taking cognisance, formed a three member panel – headed by former chief justice RM Lodha to conduct a thorough probe on functioning and style of operation of the BCCI. The matter cane into fore due to spot fixing and betting scandal that rocked the boats in the 2013 edition of the Board's flagship Indian Premier League (IPL). 

The BCCI had submitted to the Bench its reply to the Lodha committee's allegations that the board had not co-operated with the panel. It said most of the recommendations, like amending its constitution, were rejected by a majority of the BCCI members through voting at a recent meeting. Board President Anurag Thakur had said in an interview earlier the BCCI was bound by the Tamil Nadu Societies Act, which required approval by three-fourths majority to effect any amendments in its constitution.

The Lodha committee had accused the BCCI last week of not co-operating with it. The board on Thursday said the allegation was not justified. The BCCI had said that it had written nearly 40 e-mails; these were submitted to the court.

Earlier, senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, who is helping the court as an amicus curiae, alleged that the board had agreed to disburse Rs 400 crore during a special general body meeting in Mumbai on September 30. The BCCI, however, told the court it had not violated any of the panel's orders, as the funds were distributed for expenses incurred during 2015-16. According to it, the funds were compensation received from broadcasters like STAR and Sony and were due for disbursement.

On Monday, the panel had asked YES Bank and Bank of Maharashtra to stop disbursements of large sums from the BCCI to the state associations. The BCCI, in turn, cried foul and said this might hamper the ongoing India-New Zealand series. However, Lodha later clarified that the ban was not for expenses related to the ongoing series.

In its status report last week, the SC-appointed three member panel, headed by former chief justice R M Lodha, alleged that the board had elected its secretary in the annual general body meeting illegally.

The BCCI has already missed the first deadline of September 30 set by the Lodha committee to make constitutional amendments. The board is supposed to form a nine-member apex committee by December 15 to replace the present system of a working committee.