SC reserves order on plea against ban on CSK

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a PIL by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy challenging the two-year ban imposed on IPL franchisee Chennai Super Kings (CSK) over the 2013 betting scam involving its top official Gurunath Meiyappan. 

“We will pass the order,” a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said when Swamy claimed that being a cricket lover, he has been deprived of watching the play of CSK whose players have not been accused of any mischief. 

The bench, during the hearing, observed that the findings of the Justice R M Lodha panel and its recommendation for imposing ban on the CSK and Rajasthan Royals, has “become final”.

“The findings of the Committee have become final. We had referred the issue to the Lodha panel and they chose to impose a ban of two years on CSK and this has attained finality,” the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said.

The court can look into this aspect if it is found that the punishment was “disproportionate” to the offence, it said.

At the outset, Swamy alleged some BCCI officials, including then President Shashank Manohar, Lalit Modi and Aditya Varma of Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) conspired against N Srinivasan, also a former BCCI head. He said the apex court should seriously look into the allegation that the litigation, pursued by CAB in the High Court and in the apex court, was financed by Lalit Modi.