Did Dhoni, Srinivasan misrepresent facts to Mudgal?

Serious doubts are being raised over the deposition of Indian cricket board president Narayanswami Srinivasan, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the India Cements management that Gurunath Meiyappan was not a team principal, only a cricket enthusiast with Chennai Super Kings, in a report submitted to the apex court.

Retired Judge Mukul Mudgal in his report to the Supreme Court Monday said that Dhoni, Srinivasan and his company India Cements took the stand during the inquiry of the betting and the spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that Meiyappan, who is the son-in-law of Srinivasan, had nothing do with the cricketing affairs of Chennai Super Kings.

But in his due course of the probe, Mudgal found out that Meiyappan made it out to the world that he was indeed the team principal of Chennai Super Kings. Mudgal in his report has indicted Meiyappan of being involved in the betting scandal in the IPL.

"Representatives of India Cements, who appeared before the Committee, contended that Mr. Meiyappan had no share holding in India Cements and hence cannot be considered as an owner of CSK (Chennai Super Kings). Further, Mr. M.S. Dhoni, Mr. N. Srinivasan and officials of India Cements took the stand that Mr. Meiyappan, had nothing to do with the cricketing affairs of Chennai Super Kings and was a mere cricket enthusiast supporting CSK," said Mudgal in his report.

According to IPL constitution, if any team franchise or its members are found to have acted in any way which has a material adverse effect upon the reputation or standing of the League, BCCI-IPL, BCCI, the franchisee, the team (or any other team in the League) and/or the game of cricket, the franchise can be terminated with immediate effect by written notice.

Mudgal during his probe found that Meiyappan "held out to the world at large as the Team Principal/ Team Owner of CSK."

"However, while conducting its probe the committee sought to ascertain from various persons it had interacted with, as to what was the role and position of Mr. Meiyappan in CSK.

"It came to light that Mr. Meiyappan would be with the team (CSK) during the practice sessions, would be present during team meetings, at the auction table, in the owners dug out, participated in the IPL owners meet, travelled with the team, participated in the IPL owners workshop representing himself to be the owner of CSK and held out to the world at large as the Team Principal/ Team Owner of CSK," he said.