December 20, 2025 04:54 am (IST)
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End of road for Srini as SC ruling may bar him from contesting polls
New Delhi, Nov 27 (IBNS): In perhaps the biggest blow to Narayanswamy Srinivasan, the Supreme court on Thursday said that Chennai Super Kings should be "terminated without further enquiry" from the Indian Premier League and also wanted fresh Board elections with all those involved with the IPL scam to step aside, media reported.
The move may end Srini's hope of contesting election and return to the helm of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The court made it clear to the BCCI that if it wanted to take action as per the Mudgal panel report, only the new Board could do so.
Otherwise, the Mudgal panel itself could be asked to suggest what punishment it could impose on those found guilty based on its own findings.
During hearing on Thursday, the Supreme Court Bench of Justices T.S. Thakur and Ibrahim Kalifulla wanted to know who was controlling two-time IPL champions CSK.
The judges said: "Srinivasan's position as CSK owner might have come in way of him conducting a fair tournament."
The Supreme Court has observed that Chennai Super Kings should be "terminated without further enquiry" from the Indian Premier League because one of its officials Gurunath Meiyappan has been indicted for betting by an inquiry committee.
Meiyappan is the son-in-law of suspended BCCI president N. Srinivasan.
Srinivasan is himself facing questions on conflict of interest.
During the more than three-hour long hearing arising out of Mudgal Committee findings, the apex court asked about the exact share holding pattern of India Cements, which owns the Chennai Super Kings franchise.
Srinivasan is the Managing Director of India Cements.
But the biggest setback for BCCI President-in-exile Srinivasan perhaps came later when the top court wanted fresh elections in the BCCI and asked all those involved with the IPL betting scam to stay away from it.
The annual general meeting of the BCCI is scheduled on December 17 where Srinivasan, who is already the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), is seeking another term.
Srinivasan was seeking a clean chit from the Supreme Court to contest the BCCI elections and win another term as president.
Suspended BCCI President petitioned that he may be restored to his position as BCCI chief and be allowed to function.
Court's observations invariably brought down the curtains on Srini's re-entry into BCCI arena.
During the more than three-hour long hearing arising out of Mudgal Committee findings, the Supreme Court had on Monday blasted Srinivasan for conflict of interest, asking how somebody within the sports body is also holding a franchise in the Indian Premier League.
The bench said, "According to IPL rules, if a team official is found indulging in corrupt activities like betting and match-fixing, the franchise can be terminated."
The top court made a observation saying: "Your (Srinivasan) duty as a president is to keep the show (IPL) running and to keep it clean. What is your duty as a team owner? To win the tournament."
The Mudgal Committee, which submitted its report on November 17, had indicted Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals franchise co-owner Raj Kundra of betting and confirmed their role in their teams but cleared Srinivasan of match fixing and scuttling the probe.
The probe report has charged Srinivasan with "covering up" Meiyappan's role.
The judges said: "We don't expect people to stand up and confess. There could be corollaries and consequences arising from the inferences contained in the report. That you cannot escape."
On Tuesday, the judges event went to the extent of terming Meiyappan's leaking team information to "insider trading."
The remark came after the petitioners, Aditya Verma and Cricket Association of Bihar urged the apex court to make the entire probe report, submitted by Justice Mukul Mudgal and his team, be made public.
A day before that, on Monday's hearing, the judges slammed Srinivasan and told that "you are killing the game."
The judges remarked, "We take the findings of Justice Mudgal committee's report as gospel truth," SC said, adding that the board needs to rid the sport of fixing menace."
"If you allow these things to happen, then you are killing the game of cricket. Cricket must be played in its true spirit and should remain a gentleman's game," the bench observed.
The two-member special bench said: "You can't make a distinction between BCCI and IPL. IPL a is a by-product of BCCI."
Making some stringent observations over the report submitted by the Mudgal panel, the judges said: "Some people who are in BCCI now own a team. Now it has become a mutual benefit society."
"Benefit of doubt should go in favour of game rather than any individual," the judges said.
The BCCI lawyers argued that there is no conflict of interest because Bombay High Court had dismissed this issue.
But the top court said: "The ownership of team raises conflict of interest. President of BCCI has to run the show but you have a team which raises questions and it can't be wished away".
BCCI also argued that the Mudgal committee, that probed allegations of match fixing and betting in the 2013 edition of IPL, has cleared him of all charges levelled against him.
On this issue, the bench said: "One of the employees (Meiyappan) of your team was involved in betting. You have to reply because it will affect the position and the dignity of BCCI president position."
Reacting to the development, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi on Thursday said that N Srinivasan can't fool the nation by covering up for his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan.
Modi tweeted: "My Final word on Srini - if he thinks we are fools - think again...No MAN or No PLAYER is above the GAME - Thus clean up must happen now. We cannot afford to wait for future cleanups. Game is on its knees. (sic)"
Former cricketer and BJP MP Kirti Azad on Thursday attacked the BCCI over the ongoing controversy involving N Srinivasan and questioned the "silence" of the IPL Governing Council in the matter.
He said the issue was just the "tip of the iceberg" and alleged that many people in the governing body had conflict of interest.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court also gave the BCCI ten days to initiate action against Srinivasan and prepare grounds for fresh elections of its managing committee.
SC observed that an external commission should be set up to hand out punishment to persons found guilty in the Mudgal committee report.
Arguments will continue on Monday, December 1, when BCCI, Srinivasan and others will reply.
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