The Supreme Court Monday suggested setting up of a three-member panel, headed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court chief justice Mukul Mudgal, to probe alleged betting and spot-fixing in the Indian Premier league (IPl).
The apex court bench of Justice A.K. Patnaik and Justice J.S. Khehar sought the views of petitioner Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) and respondent Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on its suggestion for the probe panel.
The apex court is hearing cross petitions by the BCCI and the CAB with the BCCI challenging the Bombay High Court judgment that in terms of the apex Indian cricket board’s operational rules, the panel that probed the allegation of betting and spot-fixing was not validly constituted.
The CAB has impugned the rejection of its plea for independent probe into the spot-fixing and betting scandal.
The Supreme Court also proposed the names of Additional Solicitor General l. Nageswara Rao, a former cricketer, and senior advocate Nilay Dutta, who is also member of the Assam Cricket Association (ACA), as the other two members in the committee.
The apex court asked senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing CAB and C.A. Sundaram appearing for the BCCI to come up with their suggestions, and adjourned the case till Tuesday morning. “Why we are suggesting these people because we have full confidence in them. All three of them are committed to cricket and are people of integrity,” said Justice Patnaik, suggesting their names.
Sundaram’s suggestion to associate Arun Jaitley — as he is no longer associated with the BCCI as its officer bearer — with the three-member committee was resisted by Singhvi, who observed that “there are wheels within wheels...”
The BCCI suggestion to appoint a Special Purpose Committee that will go into all the matter, including interacting with Mumbai police, did not find favour with the court.