Lodha panel seeks removal of BCCI president, secretary

Slamming the cricket board the Supreme Court bench, headed by the chief justice, asked it to "fall in line" or face consequences

The tussle between the Lodha panel and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) intensified on Wednesday as the Supreme Court (SC)-appointed committee submitted a status report to the court.

Accusing the BCCI of delaying the proposed reforms and violating the apex court’s directives, the panel headed by retired chief justice R M Lodha sought the removal of BCCI’s top management, including its President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke. A Bench headed by the Chief Justice T S Thakur has agreed to hear the matter on October 6. Slamming the cricket body, the Supreme Court said, “If BCCI thinks they are a law unto themselves, they are wrong.” The court told the BCCI counsel: “When the high-powered committee gives its report, we don't expect this sort of conduct from the BCCI. Fall in line, otherwise we will make you fall in line. The BCCI is bringing the system to disrepute by not following the directions."

BCCI counsel Arvind Datar told the court the cricket board has complied with most of the directions and would gradually comply with the rest. The SC has given BCCI time till the next hearing to submit its response on the matter.

In its status report, the three-member Lodha panel highlighted the BCCI’s reluctance to implement its recommendations. The panel had asked it to implement 15 key recommendations by October 15 and submit a compliance report by August 25.

The report comes days after the BCCI had held its annual general meeting on September 21 where it re-elected Ajay Shirke as secretary and appointed a new five-member selection committee. According to the Lodha panel, all of these moves were in violation of its recommendations.

The panel’s report also accused the BCCI of stalling reforms at every step. It complained that the board had ignored court orders and the panel’s recommendations on the number of selectors, manner of conducting meetings and preparing a road map for time-bound reforms.

Justice Thakur was part of the Bench that had appointed the Lodha panel, after allegations of spot-fixing and a betting scandal erupted in the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League.

The apex court had instructed the board to follow the committee’s recommendations to ensure transparency in operations and financial dealings. But the BCCI has been opposing the move. Recommendations such as ‘one state, one vote’, and barring ministers, civil servants and members over 70 years from holding positions are key points of conflict between the two parties.

The court also accepted the panel’s recommendation of having a Comptroller and Auditor General of India nominee at BCCI.

The panel has so far served two deadlines to the BCCI – September 30 to impart constitutional amendments and December 15 to form a nine-member apex committee that will replace the present system of working committee. The BCCI management is supposed to meet on September 30 in a special general meeting.