Lodha panel seeks removal of top BCCI officials

New Delhi: The Lodha committee has approached the Supreme Court seeking virtually the sacking of all BCCI and state association office bearers who are in violation of the norms laid down by it and appointment of former Union Home Secretary G K Pillai as an observer to run the show.

The apex court-appointed Justice R M Lodha committee moved the bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur seeking a direction that all office bearers of cash-rich BCCI and state cricket bodies, who are in violation of laid-down norms with regard to 70-year age cap, citizenship and tenures, "cease tohold office forthwith".

It also wanted Pillai at the helm as an observer to "guide" BCCI in the administrative works including award of contracts, transparency norms and holding of future domestic, international and IPL matches.

The recommendations were contained in the third statusreport of the committee submitted in the apex court on November 14.

"While the day-to-day administration of BCCI is presently carried out by the CEO and certain managers who assist him in this regard, there would be a need to appoint an observer who would guide the BCCI in its administration, particularly with reference to the award of contracts, transparency norms, audit, etc., for domestic, international and IPL cricket to be played hereafter.

"The committee recommends that G K Pillai, former Union home secretary, be appointed as the observer, with a power to appoint auditor and all necessary secretarial staff, assistance and remuneration as may be determined appropriate by the committee," the report, filed through panel's secretary Gopal Sankaranarayanan, said.

The committee's recommendations, if accepted by the court, may bring under the scanner the tenure of people like BCCI President Anurag Thakur, Secretary Ajay Shirke, Treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary along with former BCCI chiefs Sharad Pawar (MCA) and N Srinivasan (TNCA) who are above 70 years.

The committee referred to recommendations, approved by the court, on criteria for holding posts in BCCI and state cricket bodies and said that they include that a person should be an Indian citizen and below 70 years of age.

The office bearer should not be "insolvent, or of unsound mind" or a minister or government servant, it said, adding that criteria also included that such a person should not be holding "any office or post in a sports or athletic association or federation apart from cricket".

It also said that the person is "incapable if an office bearer has been in office for a cumulative period of 9 years, besides being charged by a court of law for having committed any criminal offence".

"Several office bearers at both the BCCI and the state associations continue to hold the posts although they stand disqualified as per the order of this court. It is submitted that those individuals who fall foul of these norms be declared to cease to hold office forthwith," the panel said.

Aditya Varma, Secretary of Cricket Association of Bihar who had filed the case in the SC on the issue, welcomed the move of the panel, saying that many states like Bihar would benefit from it.