Permission to vote in the much-hyped elections for the coveted post of BCCI president was the only saving grace that N Srinivasan got on Friday after the Supreme Court accepted his unconditional apology for chairing a BCCI meeting in contempt of court's order. Ahead of the election to be held on March 2, Srinivasan's counsel and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal was apologetic for presiding over the February 8 Working Committee meeting of the Board, having read the clear warning of displeasure expressed by the apex court on the last date of hearing.
Following up his apology with a voluntary undertaking not to preside or participate in the March 2 meeting, the bench of Justices TS Thakur and FM Ibrahim Kalifulla allowed Srinivasan to cast his vote in the election not as president of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association but as a nominee of TNCA, which has a valid vote for choosing the next president. However, Srinivasan will return after casting vote and another member will attend the meeting, Sibal clarified.
The order came as a huge setback to Srinivasan, who is awaiting probe by a High Powered Committee headed by former CJI RM lodha set up by the Supreme Court to investigate whether the owner of CSK or its proprietor had any role in the IPl betting scam. Cricket Association of Bihar, which approached the apex court seeking contempt proceedings to be initiated against Srinivasan alleged that the disqualification to hold any administrative post will bar Srinivasan to continue as TNCA President, in which capacity he will attend BCCI meeting on March 2.
But Sibal argued that vote can be cast even by a member or nominee of TNCA who does not come within the definition of administrator.