SC issues notices to BCCI, Srinivasan, CSK and Rajasthan Royals

A bench of Justice AK Patnaik and Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, while directing the listing of the matter for final hearing on September 11, issued notice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI); N Srinivasan, who stepped aside as BCCI chief; Indian Cements Ltd - the owner of Chennai Super Kings; and Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Ltd on the CAB's plea.

A two-member probe panel comprising retired judges Justice T Jayarama Chouta and Justice R Balasubramanian had given a clean chit to Chennai Super King's Gurunath Meiyappan, the son-in-law of Srinivasan, and Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra for their alleged involvement in betting in Indian Premier League (IPL).

While BCCI has challenged the high court verdict holding the probe panel as invalid, the Bihar cricket panel filed a petition contending that the high court, after invalidating the two-member probe panel as not validly constituted in terms of apex cricketing body's rules, should have on its own appointed an independent inquiry panel. Appearing for the Bihar Cricket Association, senior counsel Harish Salve said the cross-petitions had been filed to address the limited portion of the High court judgment wherein after junking the validity of the BCCI probe panel, it did not take to its logical conclusion by setting up a probe panel on its own or suggesting suitable alternate method to inquire into the various allegations.