Supreme Court tightens screws on money matters

The Supreme Court on Friday restrained the Board of Control for Cricket in India from releasing Rs. 16.73 cr each to 12 state cricket associations and barred the remaining 13 associations to which funds were already releasing from appropriating the amount.

In its interim order, a bench of chief justice T.S. Thakur and justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud said the amounts could be released only after the state association concerned passed a proper resolution to the effect that it was agreeable to undertake and to support the reforms as proposed and accepted by the court in letter and spirit. Upon such a resolution being passed, a copy of the same shall be filed before Justice Lodha Committee with an affidavit of the president of the state association concerned unequivocally undertaking to abide by the reforms as proposed by the committee and accepted and modified by the court.

The bench said the 13 associations shall not appropriate the said amount except after they have passed a resolution and filed an affidavit before Justice Lodha Committee and before the court. In case the affidavits are not filed, the amount disbursed to the state associations shall be invested by the associations in a term deposit subject to further directions of this court. The bench said other aspects of the recommendations will be considered on the next date of hearing.

The Bench also directed Ratnakar Shivaram Shetty, general manager, Admin and Game Development of the cricket control board to place on record a copy of the authorisation / resolution passed by the BCCI on the basis of which he has filed the affidavit supporting the response of the BCCI to the status report.

The bench asked. Anurag Thakur, president of the BCCI to file a personal affidavit whether he had asked the CEO of the ICC to state that the appointment of Justice Lodha Committee was tantamount to government interference in the working of the BCCI.

The hearing on the case resumes on October 17.