BCCI suggests three-member committee to SC to probe IPL scandal
NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket authority on Sunday decided to suggest to Supreme Court a three-member panel comprising former cricketer Ravi Shastri, former chief justice of the Calcutta High Court Jainarayan Patel and ex-CBI director RK Raghavan to investigate the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal.
ASupreme Court bench had last week said that the board should probe allegations made in the Justice Mudgal committee report against 13 persons including suspended board president N Srinivasan, or the court will appoint a Central Bureau of Investigation or Special Investigation Team (CBI/SIT) enquiry.
Two warring factions within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) — those aligned with Srinivasan and those against him — came to a compromise at an emergent working committee meeting in Mumbai on Sunday to decide on the probe committee, though some members did object to Shastri’s selection, a senior BCCI official said.
“But eventually it was decided to go ahead with him as he is also on the board’s ethics committee,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
Former board president Shashank Manohar, who was requested by 15 state associations to attend the special meeting, “wanted all three members of the new panel to be from outside”, the person said.
Jagmohan Dalmiya, another former board president and Cricket Association of Bengal president, suggested the name of Jainarayan Patel.
Eventually, in the meeting, Manohar put forward Patel’s name after his discussion with Dalmiya while the Srinivasan camp suggested Ravi Shastri’s name.
Raghavan’s name was suggested by board secretary Sanjay Patel. Manohar had met with Dalmiya separately before the working committee came together.
Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) secretary Aditya Verma, who moved the Supreme Court against BCCI over the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal, however, said he will oppose the new panel before the court and seek a CBI/NIA investigation.
“I have no doubt about the credentials of two members, but Mr Ravi Shastri is a paid employee of BCCI,” he said. “After IPL 6 scam he (Shastri) always read ‘Srini chalisa’, so no hope from Shastri,” Verma said.
