New Delhi: In striking down the amendment of rule 6.2.4 of the BCCI constitution as part of its 130-page order on the conflict of interest issue involving the Board of Control for Cricket in India and its president-in-exile, a two-member Supreme Court bench on Thursday severely curtailed the options available to Narayanswami Srinivasan.

It also gave the cricket board six weeks to hold its next election. Telling Mr Srinivasan that there was a clear case of conflict of interest in his being owner of IPL team CSK as well as a BCCI office-bearer, Justices T.S. Thakur and F.M.I. Kalifulla noted: “Amendment in the BCCI rules allowing Srinivasan to own (an) IPL team is bad as conflict of interest in cricket leads to great confusion.

“No one who has commercial interest including N. Srinivasan shall be eligible for any post in the BCCI, and this disqualification on ground of commercial interest shall continue till such interest shall exist.”

The court appointed a three-member committee to decide on the quantum of punishment for those held guilty of illegal betting around IPL, including Mr Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, and recommend changes in the BCCI’s constitution to make it more transparent. Sports lawyer-activist Rahul Mehra saw the ruling as one that gave Mr Srinivasan a lot of options.

SUPREME QUOTES

Amendment in BCCI rules allowing Srinivasan to own IPL team, is bad

Meiyappan, Kundra role in IPL betting stands proved.
3-member panel headed by ex-CJI R.M. Lodha to decide quantum of punishment against Meiyappan and Kundra
BCCI did not adhere to prescribed procedures while conducting probe in IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal
Rule 6.2.4 of the BCCI constitution prohibits office-bearers of apex cricketing body from having direct or indirect commercial interest in the cricketing events organised by it. This was amended on Sep 27, 2008.
SC strikes down BCCI’s amendment of rule 6.2.4 which gave right to BCCI’s official to have stake in IPL and CLT20.