SC gives Justice Lodha Committee five more months to complete task

The Supreme Court on Friday gave the Justice R.M.Lodha committee five more months time to complete its work on suggesting reforms in the administration of Indian cricket body BCCI to make it working transparent and free from any conflict of interest.

A bench headed by Justice T.S.Thakur gave five more months time on an application by Justice Lodha Committee seeking time to complete its task of suggesting reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

However, the court declined a plea by Cricket Association of Bihar seeking that the sealed envelope containing the names of 13 players suspected of wrong doings along with the report of investigation by the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee into it be given to Justice Lodha Committee, saying it would only do so if such a plea comes from the latter.

The court said that it has to be careful about the image and reputation of the players whose names are mentioned in the sealed cover.

In a clean-up exercise, Justice Lodha Committee also comprising Justices R.V.Ravindran and Justice Ashok Bhan had on July 14 suspended IPL franchisee Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two years from the IPL.

The Committee had also slapped a lifelong ban on Gurunath Meiyappan of CSK and Raj Kundra of Rajasthan Royal from the affairs of cricket in the country for their alleged role in the betting.

Justice Lodha Committee was set up by a bench of Justice Thakur and Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla to decide the quantum of punishment that had to be awarded to Meiyappan, the son-in-law of former BCCI president N. Srinivasan and Royals co-owner Raj Kundra.

The court had also asked Justice Lodha committee to look into the activities of BCCI official Sunder Raman in the entire matter. This issue is still pending as his role is being investigated.