Not all is well between the BCCI office bearers and the Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) managing affairs of the cricket body. On Wednesday, the CoA approached the Supreme Court claiming that the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) handling finances of BCCI for the Committee was issued “death threat” by the BCCI Treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary.

The startling allegation was put forth by the amicus curiae senior advocate Gopal Subramanium before a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud. Subramanium shared a letter he received from CoA counsel and senior advocate Parag Tripathi containing the communication exchanged by CFO Santosh Rangnekar with CoA Chairman Vinod Rai.

The substance of allegation was against BCCI Treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary who had threatened to “liquidate” the CFO and frame false charges against him on three separate occasions.

The incident, according to Subramanium, dated to January 21 this year. However, this is the first time the matter has come out in the open. After Rangnekar communicated the incident to Rai, the latter took legal advice and decided to bring the matter to the notice of the court.

Subramanium told the court that it was most unfortunate that the CFO is issued with threats to be eliminated.

According to what was stated by Rangnekar, on January 21, the Treasurer called CFO to his office and threatened to lodge a FIR against him and Rai for misappropriation of funds. Subramanium further stated before the court that Chaudhary even warned Rangnekar that he would be “evaporated” by now had he been in Haryana.

Chaudhary who was present in court confided in his lawyer senior advocate Puneet Bali and denied all charges. When the bench asked Bali whether the Treasurer was represented in the matter, he replied in the affirmative. The bench directed him to file his response. The court posted the case for hearing in the second week of January, 2018.

In addition, the court also allowed the amicus curiae and the CoA to furnish comments on the responses received from various state cricket bodies to the draft Constitution prepared by the CoA.

The court even held that no disqualified members as per the Supreme Court judgment introducing radical reforms in BCCI will be allowed to take part in the Special General Meeting (SGM) of BCCI. This order was essential as CoA pointed out that disqualified members were sent as nominees by State cricket associations to attend crucial meetings of the apex cricket body.