New Delhi:
After the Bombay High Court declared the BCCI's probe into the IPL spot-fixing scandal as "illegal and unconstitutional" on a PIL filed by Cricket Association of Bihar, it on Thursday threatened to move court again in the event of N Srinivasan chairing the Working Committee meeting.
"The court has categorically termed the two-member probe set up by him as illegal. He has no authority to chair the working committee meeting. In case he does, we will move petition against him. It will be a clear violation of the court orders," Verma, the secretary of Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB), told reporters here.
"He has been given a clean chit despite the matter being subjudice. This shows their (BCCI) malafide intention," he added.
Bihar has three cricket associations and none of them are recognised by the BCCI. One of them is Cricket Association Bihar, who has been fighting for the recognition and the matter is lying in the Supreme Court.
Verma alleged that an important BCCI functionary had contacted him to settle the matter out of court and even threatened him.
"Whenever I was in Mumbai, BCCI members used to meet me. One day a powerful functionary of the BCCI told me that 'you would be requiring an affiliation from us. You think you will be able to fight against us. We can settle the matter outside the court'," he said.
The BCCI's working committee will meet here to discuss the Bombay High Court's order amid indications that a defiant Srinivasan would return as President despite the furore.
The president of the Cricket Association of Jharkhand (CAJ), Subodh Kant Sahai has also requested the BCCI members to voice their opinions against any such a move and force the Tamil Nadu heavyweight to resign.
CAJ is a rival body to the BCCI-recognised Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA).
"We all welcome the verdict of the Bombay High Court order. It will be almost a crime if he chairs the meeting tomorrow," he said.
"It is high time for Srinivasan, after this order, to quit. The BCCI members should raise their voices against him. Without taking any help from law enforcing agencies, in only one sitting, can they give him a clean chit?," asked Sahai.
Sahai also alleged that BCCI has been hijacked by some people and said that the body should come under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
"The BCCI must come under the RTI Act. It has become more of a business than cricket. Some people have hijacked it, which we oppose and condemn," the former union minister said.
Asked if the High Court order was legally binding on Srinivasan, Sahai said it was time the BCCI president-in-exile steps down from his post after the court nullifying the probe panel.
"Moral ground was in the first round when his son-in-law was arrested but its not anymore moral when court has made stinging remarks over his probe panel. What is the basis of his continuation?," Sahai asked.
"I appeal to the BCCI members to not allow Srinivasan to continue. They should ask for his resignation for the betterment of the image of the sport," he added.
