Restraint order on BCCI chief Srinivasan to continue: SC

Newly-reelected BCCI president N. Srinivasan will remain unable to discharge his functions as head of the Indian cricketing body as the Supreme Court Monday declined to lift its orders restraining him.

The apex court bench headed by Justice A.K. Patnaik asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to furnish its proposal under which Srinivasan will be allowed to discharge his duties mandated by the BCCI constitution while completely keeping off the probe into allegations against his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan of involvement in spot fixing and betting in the lucrative Indian Premier league (IPl).

The court said this after the BCCI pleaded that Srinivasan be allowed to discharge certain responsibilities as the board chief. Senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for Cricket Association of Bihar, said they could respond to the suggestion by the BCCI only after receiving the concrete proposal in writing.

The apex court was hearing a petition filed last week by Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) secretary Aditya Verma pleading that Srinivasan be barred from contesting the BCCI presidential election. He also wanted the SC to issue an interim ban preventing Srinivasan from being a member of any committee of the Indian cricket board. 

The petition was filed on the ground that Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan is being probed for placing bets in the Indian Premier league (IPl) matches. The apex court allowed Srinivasan to contest the election but said that he cannot discharge his duties.

In the course of the hearing, the court observed that "so many things are coming about IPl and something seems wrong with the apex cricketing body ... why it has lost its credibility", Justice Patnaik asked BCCI counsel C.A. Sundaram.