SC questions Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah's presence in BCCI's Special General Meeting

"How can a person disqualified by virtue of apex court order be nominated as nominee of state cricket associations and attend the meeting of BCCI," a Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said. The Bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, issued notices to Srinivasan and Shah seeking their responses to hear them on July 24, when they will also go into the fourth status report filed by Committee of Administrators (COA) headed by former CAG Vinod Rai. In the fourth status report submitted by the COA, Srinivasan and Shah have been described as "disqualified office bearers with vested interest", who were trying to stall the implementation of Lodha reforms.

The applications moved by the apex court-appointed COA complained that the two veterans who were disqualified were present as nominees of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) respectively, at the June 26 Special General Meeting (SGM) of the BCCI. Both Srinivasan and Shah were disqualified from becoming the office bearers of BCCI or state cricket bodies as they fell under the category of debarment for either having conflict of interest or attaining the age of 70 years, as per Justice R M Lodha led panel recommendation which were accepted by the apex court. Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter, informed that two members of the COA -- Ramachandra Guha and Vikram Limaye -- have tendered their resignation from the post of administrators of the BCCI.

The apex court accepted the resignation and relieved Guha who has resigned due to personal reasons. It also relieved Limaye, who quit recently after being appointed the Managing Director and CEO of National Stock Exchange.