IPL Betting Verdict: Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals Suspended For 2 Years; Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra Get Life Ban
Finally the spectre of betting by Indian Premier League (IPL) team officials has dealt a massive blow to the game of cricket.
The 3-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge RM Lodha has not only banned Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the cash-rich and entertaining IPL for two years but also kicked out former CSK team official Gurunath Meiyappan and RR co-owner Raj Kundra from all forms of cricket for life.
In a stinging indictment of the role of Meiyappan and Kundra for betting on IPL matches, Justice Lodha not also came down heavily on both of them and castigated them for bringing the game into disrepute for which they have been banned for life from all forms of cricket. 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.
On Tuesday July 14,2015, two years after a PIL was filed in Bombay High Court against corruption in the Indian Premier League, a high-profile committee appointed by the Supreme Court slapped identical 2-year suspensions on CSK and RR
In a highly-attended media conference at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre, Justice RM Lodha, the chairman of the three-judge panel, also read out the punishments against Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra for betting and “bringing the game into disrepute.”
Gurunath Meiyappan, who is the son-in-law of ex-BCCI president N. Srinivasan and the face of CSK till 2013, has been banned for life from cricketing activities while Raj Kundra, the husband of film star Shilpa Shetty and a Rajasthan Royals team owner, has been slapped a similar penalty.
The Lodha committee came down heavily on Meiyappan and Kundra for placing bets and being involved with bookies. The former Chief Justice of India, who was assisted by two former Supreme Court judges Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice R.V. Raveendran, said the action of Meiyappan and Kundra not only brought disrepute to their teams but also to BCCI and the fans at large
The Lodha panel acted on behalf of the BCCI disciplinary committee and its decisions although binding on the Board, will now have to be ratified by the governing body.
This should be a mere formality.
Once the suspension is implemented, two fresh teams have to be inducted to complete the minimum quota of eight sides to have an IPL.
The BCCI has reacted cautiously on the suspensions of the two teams. "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," said BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya in a statement.
According to a Supreme Court order on January 22,2015 the teams can appeal against the suspension. In that case, they have to go back to the Supreme Court bench that ordered the formation of the Lodha committee, or appeal at High Court in either Delhi, Bombay or Madras.
Timeline
- › May 16, 2013: Rajasthan Royals players S. Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandila held on spot-fixing charges
- › May 34: Gurunath Meiyappan of Chennai Super Kings arrested on betting charges
- ›June 2: N. Srinivasan steps aside as BCCI president
- ›Oct 8: Supreme Court appoints panel headed by Justice Mudgal
- ›Feb 10, 2014: Panel indicts Meiyappan for betting
- ›April 22: Supreme Court asks panel to continue with probe
- › November 17: Panel says Srinivasan ignored violation of player's code of conduct
- › Jan 22, 2015: Supreme Court absolves Srinivasan of charge of cover-up and misleading the probe committee
No comments:
Post a Comment