IPL Scam: Heavens Will Not Fall if Administrators Don't Own Teams, Court Tells N. Srinivasan
Supreme Court is examining conflict of interest issues against suspended BCCI president N. Srinivasan, who owns IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings.
The Supreme Court has once again slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India for involving officials and players with "conflict of interest." During a hearing on Tuesday, a special bench asked the BCCI to give a list of administrators and players having commercial interest in Indian Premier League and Champions League T20. (Supreme Court Mounting Pressure on Srinivasan)
"For the purity of the game, if conflict of interest has to go, it will go. Heavens will not fall if administrators don't own teams. If the team goes, projects will not fall," the judges said. "Apart from CSK, is there any other team which is run by an administrator and why? Give us a list of all contracts which will fall because of striking down Rule 6.2.4," the court said.
For the first time in this over 18-month case on corruption in IPL, the Supreme Court will hear arguments for the third straight day on Wednesday. The judges have asked BCCI to justify the controversial 6.2.4 clause that allowed BCCI officials to wear multiple hats and have commercial interest in IPL and CLT20. On the basis of this (2008) amended clause, N. Srinivasan's company India Cements were allowed to own an IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings. (Supreme Court Slams IPL COO for Inaction)
"BCCI needs to take it out of their minds that Supreme Court can't adjudicate on BCCI rules. Those aren't sacrosanct for us. You have to satisfy us as far as Rule 6.2.4 is concerned," the judges said.. The hearing is expected to conclude by 2 PM on Wednesday.
On Monday, Rajeev Dhawan, counsel appearing for former BCCI president IS Bindra, said clause 6.2.4 was "responsible for the mess we (referring to Indian cricket) are in since 2008." It needed to be examined more closely in the court, he said because cricket, once described as "the greatest game on earth" was now, "going to the dogs." (Sundar Raman, the Brain Behind IPL and N. Srinivasan)
Dhawan also pointed out that the BCCI had both "a commercial and public interest" and said, "it can't be that the commercial interest should dominate over the public interest." Dhawan called the clause a "bombshell" for the parties concerned.