BCCI to honour and respect judicial decisions: BCCI Jagmonhan chief on Justice Lodha panel decision

In a statement, Dalmiya said: “BCCI is committed to honour and respect judicial decisions and it would give its observations after the entire report is read and a collective decision is taken.”

He, however, asserted that BCCI is committed to ensuring transparency, accountability and cleansing the sport in order to restore the faith and confidence of millions of cricket loving people in the glorious game of cricket in general and IPL in particular.

Anurag Thakur, Secretary of the BCCI, said: “We respect the verdict and would undertake a collective decision in a transparent manner, in the right direction and in the larger interest of the game after the verdict is received and analysed.”

Former Indian cricketer Bishen Singh Bedi tweeted: "Justice Lodha committee after Justice Mudgal findings comes as breath of fresh air,but only just!There's more muck fr Crkt 2 breathe afresh!"

He said: "Perhaps CSK & RR deserved harsher punishment..even so the stigma itself is longer than life-ban!BCCI will've plenty of head-banging fr now!!"

In what could take out the sheen more out of the glamourous and tumultuously popular IPL, the three-member committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge RM Lodha also suspended two-time premier league champions Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, winners of the maiden version of the cash-rich league.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is also the skipper of CSK.

While delivering its historic verdict, the Supreme Court-appointed panel found Kundra and Meiyappan guilty of having placed bets through known punters that brought disrepute to the game of cricket  and said Meiyappan's passion for the game is questionable.

According to the panel, both Meiyappan and Kundra damaged the faith the people in the sport, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL.

The panel said both  Meiyappan and Kundra, who is the husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, had violated the anti-corruption code by betting regularly.

Earlier, a commission appointed by then BCCI chief N Srinivasan had given Meiyappan and Raj Kundra a clean chit, saying there was no evidence of wrong doing against them.

The BCCI panel's decision was challenged by Cricket Association of Bihar secretary Aditya Verma in the Bombay High Court. Srinivasan was charged with shielding his son-in-law and others.

In July 2013, the Bombay High Court found the BCCI probe panel illegal and said the report was null and void.

In August 2013, the BCCI moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court order. In October, the apex court appointed the three-member Justice Mukul Mudgal committee to investigate, but not impose punishment.

The Mudgal panel submitted its report in February, 2014. It said  Meiyappan was the face of CSK and was involved in betting and sharing team information. It also said  Kundra participated in betting.

In January this year, the court set up the Lodha committee to determine amount of punishment for them and their teams.

In March, the panel issued showcause notices to Meiyappan and Kundra seeking their reply on the quantum of punishment.