In findings that could leave IPL teams Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals vulnerable, the Justice Mudgal Committee has indicted their officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra of betting and confirmed their role in their teams but cleared N Srinivasan of match fixing and scuttling the probe.
The three-member Committee, in its report to the Supreme Court, however, indicted the BCCI President-in-exile for not taking action against a cricketer, who it did not name, for violating Players Code of Conduct despite being aware of it. It confirmed Meiyappan was a team official (team principal) of CSK while RR’s owner Kundra’s ‘infractions violated BCCI/IPL Anti Corruption Code.’
A provision in the IPL code of conduct says that any team official found guilty of ‘bringing the game into disrepute’ by betting or match-fixing, their team could be scrapped. The Committee, headed by retired High Court Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal with Additional Solicitor General L Nageshwar Rao and senior advocate Nilay Dutta as members, held that Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was involved in betting but not in match fixing.
It also questioned why Rajasthan police stopped probe abruptly on Kundra for his betting activities after the case was transferred from Delhi police. Further, the Committee found that IPL CEO Sunder Raman knew of a contact of a bookie and had contacted him eight times in one season. While giving its findings on Srinivasan, the panel said ‘This individual is not involved with match fixing activity. This individual was not found to be involved in scuttling the investigations into match fixing.’ ‘This individual (Srinivasan) along with four other BCCI officials was aware of the violation of the Players Code of Conduct by individual 3, but no action was taken,’ the report, which was supplied to the parties on Monday, said.
The three-member Committee, in its report to the Supreme Court, however, indicted the BCCI President-in-exile for not taking action against a cricketer, who it did not name, for violating Players Code of Conduct despite being aware of it. It confirmed Meiyappan was a team official (team principal) of CSK while RR’s owner Kundra’s ‘infractions violated BCCI/IPL Anti Corruption Code.’
A provision in the IPL code of conduct says that any team official found guilty of ‘bringing the game into disrepute’ by betting or match-fixing, their team could be scrapped. The Committee, headed by retired High Court Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal with Additional Solicitor General L Nageshwar Rao and senior advocate Nilay Dutta as members, held that Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was involved in betting but not in match fixing.
It also questioned why Rajasthan police stopped probe abruptly on Kundra for his betting activities after the case was transferred from Delhi police. Further, the Committee found that IPL CEO Sunder Raman knew of a contact of a bookie and had contacted him eight times in one season. While giving its findings on Srinivasan, the panel said ‘This individual is not involved with match fixing activity. This individual was not found to be involved in scuttling the investigations into match fixing.’ ‘This individual (Srinivasan) along with four other BCCI officials was aware of the violation of the Players Code of Conduct by individual 3, but no action was taken,’ the report, which was supplied to the parties on Monday, said.