BCCI chief intends to seek extension
Chennai: Under-fire BCCI president N Srinivasan continued to remain defiant on Saturday by stating that no one could stop him from seeking a year’s extension in the upcoming Annual General Meeting despite the chargesheet filed against his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan for betting during this year’s IPL.
“Why should I step aside? I am not disqualified and neither can you push me out,” a combative Srinivasan told mediapersons when asked whether he would step aside following the chargesheet against Meiyappan.
Gurunath was charged under sections 415, 420 and 417 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with cheating and fraud, and section 130 of the Bombay Police Act, which concerns cheating at games.
Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf was also charged in the IPL case, although he has denied the accusations.
Fifteen alleged bookies from Pakistan have been named as wanted accused in the 11,500-page charge sheet filed by the crime branch in a Mumbai court.
According to sources, Meiyappan and Vindoo, son of actor Dara Singh, and others have been charged only for betting and not spot fixing.
The Tamil Nadu strongman sought to distance himself from his son-in-law, who was earlier arrested during IPL 6 for placing bets on Chennai Super Kings matches.
While Srinivasan is the owner of CSK, his son-in-law was the Team Principal.
“I have always maintained that if Gurunath is wrong then the law will take its own course,” Srinivasan said.
Asked about the chargesheet filed against Meiyappan, which has charged the former CSK Team Principal for session betting, which is done by someone privy to team’s inside information, Srinivasan offered a straight bat.
“I have not seen the chargesheet yet. I will be asking the secretary of the BCCI to to take legal advice if he finds it necessary,” he said.
Srinivasan, whose company India Cements owns the Chennai Super Kings, was forced to step aside as Board President on moral grounds after Meiyappan was arrested for allegedly indulging in betting during the IPL this year.
Srinivasan, who has remained defiant despite stepping aside, reiterated that he would contest the BCCI Presidential election during the September 29 Annual General Meeting in Chennai.
“I will chair the meeting as President and inspite of what you (the media) feel, I may get elected,” he said.
The IPL spot-fixing controversy broke out in May with the arrest of Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan by the Delhi Police for conceding a specified number of runs per over in return for money from illegal bookmakers.
Sreesanth and Chavan were recently slapped with life bans by the BCCI.
A five-year ban was handed to Royals’ Amit Singh, while team mate Siddharth Trivedi received a one-year suspension.
There was no decision on Chandila, who recently got out on bail. His role is still being probed, and a decision will be taken soon.
Meanwhile, the BCCI refuted allegations that it violated India’s foreign exchange regulations while conducting the 2009 IPL in South Africa, insisting that all the payments were “bona fide and legitimate”.
Reacting to a media report which stated that the BCCI had issued notice by the Enforcement Directorate for contravening FEMA by remitting Rs 283 crore to Cricket South Africa and paying IMG Rs 88.48 crore for services in the conduct of the IPL, the Board stated the “violation of Rs 1600 crores mentioned in the report is misleading”.
“The BCCI wishes to clarify that these Show Cause Notices were issued in July 2011 and October 2011 and that the BCCI has given detailed replies refuting the charges,” BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.
“The BCCI also wishes to clarify that the reported violation of Rs 1600 crores mentioned in the report is misleading. The total foreign exchange payments made to CSA and IMG covered by these notices were only Rs 283 crores but adding up charges of contraventions of multiple provisions of FEMA has resulted in this figure,” he added.
The financial transactions during that edition of the IPL had kicked up in storm in South Africa as well and led to the stepping down of Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola for sanctioning millions in bonus for himself and some other CSA officials. (PTI)