BCCI to contest court order against probe panel
BCCI will appeal against court's order deeming IPL probe panel illegal.
NEW DELHI (AP) - The Board of Control for Cricket in India plans to appeal against a court order that declared its panel which is probing spot-fixing allegations in the Indian Premier League was illegally formed.
"The governing council (of the IPL) believes that the probe commission was properly constituted in accordance with the IPL operational rules, and has consequently decided that an appeal should be filed in the honorable Supreme Court," the BCCI said in a statement.
The Bombay High Court declared the panel "illegal and unconstitutional" on Tuesday, saying it was not formed in line with the BCCI's own rules.
The BCCI's two-member panel, comprising former judges Jayaram Chouta and R. Balasubramanian, cleared Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra of betting and keeping in touch with illegal bookmakers.
The BCCI also said acting president Jagmohan Dalmiya would continue in the role since president Narainswamy Srinivasan stepped aside pending the probe due to a conflict of interest. Meiyappan is Srinivasan's son-in-law and the Chennai franchise is owned by India Cements company, of which Srinivasan is the managing director.
Meiyappan spent nearly two weeks in jail while Kundra admitted only to betting and was never arrested.
The spot-fixing controversy arose after the arrest of Rajasthan Royals players Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan by Delhi Police, who said they have proof the players conceded more than a specified number of runs per over in return for money from illegal bookmakers.
Sreesanth and Chavan are out on bail but Chandila is in jail awaiting trial.
The BCCI is investigating the allegations against the players separately.
