N Srinivasan says High Court verdict no big issue

A defiant BCCI President N Srinivasan on Tuesday made it clear that he will attend the BCCI's Working Committee meeting here on August 2 despite the Bombay High Court ruling that the constitution of the probe panel which gave his team Chennai Superkings a clean chit was "illegal and unconstitutional."

"Yes, I will be attending the BCCI working Committee meeting in New Delhi on August 2," Srinivasan told PTI over phone today.

When specifically asked in which capacity he will be attending the meeting, Srinivasan gave a terse reply, "Come there and see for yourself as to what capacity I will be attending the meeting!"

Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) is a permanent member of the BCCI Working Committee and Srinivasan might as well attend the meeting by virtue of being the president of the state association.

Normally, Srinivasan confidant and former India Cements employee Kashi Viswanathan represents TNCA at such meetings.

Srinivasan also took an aggressive stance when asked about the ruling of the Bombay High Court on the probe panel which was formed to inquire into the IPL spot-fixing scandal.

"I don't know why you people are making a big issue. A writ was filed and the court has given its verdict. The matter finishes there. I have no further comments to make on this issue," he said.

Srinivasan had stepped aside from discharging his functions as BCCI president after the formation of two-member probe panel comprising of Retd Justice T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian to look into the allegations of betting and spot-fixing against his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan.

Last Sunday, the probe panel cleared Srinivasan, his son-in-law Meiyappan, Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra of any wrongdoing during the sixth edition of IPL.

According to a BCCI source, the Working Committee on August 2 will take a decision on whether to immediately appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court or wait till the police authorities complete their probe in the matter.

"We have succeeded and the court has accepted our contentions. It is now upto the BCCI to see what is to be done next," advocate Amit Naik, who appeared along with senior counsels Virendra Tulzapurkar and Birendra Saraf for the petitioner, said.

BCCI and Srinivasan, in their reply affidavits, termed the petition as "motivated and vested with personal interests."