HC seeks DDCA, SDMC’s reply on Kirti Azad’s plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the response of DDCA and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on a plea by suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad seeking to intervene in a matter concerning the holding of cricket matches at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium here.

A Bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Najmi Waziri issued notice to Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) and the municipal body seeking their reply on Azad’s plea to be made a party in the matter so that he can assist the court.

The politician-cum-former cricketer has said he wants to place before the bench the alleged irregularities committed by the cricketing body.

The court listed Azad’s application for hearing on August 22 along with the main petition of DDCA, moved in 2010, seeking an occupancy certificate from the corporation to hold matches at the stadium.

The application comes in the wake of a recent report by Justice Mukul Mudgal, who was appointed observer to oversee the conduct of the 2016 T2O World Cup earlier this year, pointing to various deficiencies in DDCA. He had observed that BCCI being the parent body, has to ensure that the Delhi cricketing body is “transparent in its functioning”.

Justice Mudgal was appointed as observer after SDMC had said that the Kotla ground lack various clearances which were required before an occupancy certificate was granted.

Thereafter, SDMC in March this year issued an occupancy certificate to DDCA for the stadium, saying that it was fully satisfied that the deviations in the stadium’s structure have been rectified by the association in terms of the sanctioned plan of 2005.