Supreme Court keeps on hold Lalit Modi’s return as Rajasthan Cricket Association chief
The Supreme Court on Monday did not declare the results of the Rajasthan Cricket Association elections held in Jaipur on December 19. It effectively keeps on hold Lalit Modi’s return as Rajasthan cricket chief. The apex court is hearing a Special Leave Petition filed by former RCA president Kishore Rungta, who has challenged the controversial Rajasthan Sports Act that enabled Modi to contest the RCA presidential elections. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is also backing Rungta’s petition.
On December 28, the BCCI decided to “intervene” in the SLP filed by Rungta in the Supreme Court challenging the Rajasthan Sports Act, 2005 that abolished individual members’ voting rights. The Act allowed only district associations to vote. In 2005, Modi had beaten Rungta by just one vote to become the RCA president. Modi ruled the RCA from 2005 to 2009.
Rungta, whose family ruled the RCA for a number of years, challenged the Sports Act in the High Court in 2005 but his application was rejected. Rungta then filed a SLP in the Supreme Court in 2007.
The RCA, which is governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act, had ignored a BCCI diktat and went ahead with the elections that were supervised by Supreme Court-appointed former judges NM Kasliwal and SP Pathak. The former judges had cleared Modi to contest. The RCA elections were held in Jaipur on December 19 but the results were not declared due to legalities. The Modi group claims to have the support of at least 29 of the 33 district units.
The BCCI is angry that the RCA allowed Modi to contest despite the life ban on the former Indian Premier League commissioner. Modi was banned in September 2013 after a probe committee found him guilty of financial wrongdoings. Modi has also challenged the Board’s ban in court.
Last week, the BCCI decided to move the Supreme Court. Board members feel Modi’s return as Rajasthan cricket chief will tarnish the image of Indian cricket. Modi lives in the UK and his supporters feel he can easily run Rajasthan cricket from there.
