The Supreme Court on Wednesday warned the BCCI that if it “does not fall in line” and follow the court’s directive to implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, it would be forced to take steps to enforce them.

Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur told senior counsel Arvind P. Datar, appearing for the Board which has been accused of stalling by the Lodha Committee, that the BCCI had one week to respond to the status report submitted by the Lodha Committee.

In its report submitted on Wednesday, the Lodha Committee asked the Supreme Court to “supersede” the BCCI’s top brass with “immediate effect” because its officials had not complied with various timelines set by the committee to implement its recommendations and the Supreme Court’s order of July 18.

“If the BCCI thinks that they are law unto themselves, then they are wrong. They have to comply with the directions of the court. You (BCCI) are behaving like lords. Fall in line otherwise we will make you fall in line. BCCI is bringing the system to disrepute by not following the directions,” Chief Justive Thakur told the Board.

When Mr Datar submitted that the Board had complied with most of the directions and would gradually comply with the rest, the CJI said “BCCI, it seems, will go to the extent of defying court orders. We had been anticipating such disregard from the Board. We don’t appreciate such tactics by the BCCI. We have no difficulty in passing orders to make sure our previous orders are implemented.”

The three-judge Bench, which included Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, directed the board to file its response to the status report by October 6 and posted the matter for hearing on that day.

Prior to this latest rap on its knuckles, the BCCI had taken a series of steps in direct defiance of the Lodha panel’s recommendations. These included the appointment of a five-member selection committee against the three suggested by Justice Lodha, the re-election of BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke, and his continuing in office along with BCCI president Anurag Thakur that has particularly enraged the apex court.

Attention now shifts to Friday, September 30, which is the last day for adoption of the new memorandum of association for the BCCI and state associations as mooted by the Lodha Committee. The Board has convened a special general general body meeting on the day where it has said it would “consider” the amendments suggested by Justice Lodha.

In some ways, this is the endgame for the BCCI. It has repeatedly ignored schedules and time-lines to bring in the suggested changes and it is unlikely that the Supreme Court will continue to show restraint any longer.