SC seeks BCCI response on Sreesanth's plea against life ban

The Supreme Court today sought a response from BCCI on controversial cricketer S Sreesanth's plea challenging a Kerala High Court verdict restoring the life ban imposed on him by the apex cricket body in the wake of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the two members of the committee, which had recommended life ban on Sreesanth, to file their responses within four weeks.
Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, representing the cricketer, told the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, that the life ban was extremely harsh penalty and moreover, the cricketer has not been playing for last five years which was more than enough.

Senior advocate Parag Tripathi, appearing for the BCCI, accepted the notice on behalf of the cricket body, but said the case against Sreesanth was an "open and shut" one as the telephonic conversations revealed that he took money for bowling 'no balls' during an IPL match in 2013.
"I am keeping Rs 3 lakh, Rs 7 lakh is yours," Tripathi said referring to the content of tapped conversations between the cricketer and a bookie.
The conversation dealt with division of money between the cricketer and a bookie for bowling 'no balls' in a particular a IPL match.

The court, however, refused to grant any interim relief sought by the cricketer.

The bench, on February 1, had agreed to hear the plea of Sreesanth.
A division bench of the Kerala High Court had restored the ban on a petition filed by the BCCI against a single-judge bench's order, lifting the life ban imposed on the 34-year-old pacer.
The bench had said there was no violation of natural justice against the cricketer and quashed the single bench order which was in Sreesanth's favour.
In its appeal, the BCCI had said the decision to ban the cricketer was taken based on the evidence against him.
The single-judge bench had on August 7 last year lifted the life-ban imposed on Sreesanth by the BCCI and also set aside all proceedings against him initiated by the board.

All the 36 accused in the spot-fixing case, including Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, were let off by a Patiala House court in July, 2015.
The BCCI, however, had refused to alter its disciplinary decision even after the verdict.