CAB's contempt plea against BCCI to be considered: Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said the plea of Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against BCCI's acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and others for allegedly violating its order would be covered when it considers the fourth report of the committee of administrators (CoA).

In the fourth status report submitted by the court- appointed COA, former cricket administrators N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah have been described as "disqualified office bearers with vested interest", who were trying to stall the implementation of Justice R M Lodha panel reforms.

When senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, appearing for CAB and its secretary Aditya Kumar Verma, raised the issue of contempt, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said when it takes up the matter on July 24 to deliberate on the fourth report of CoA, the plea can be covered.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said it will only go into the issue of law and at that time, the plea of CAB can be taken care of.

CAB has alleged that Choudhary, Rajesh Verma, secretary of Jharkhand State Cricket Association, Asirbad Behera, secretary of Orissa Cricket Association, and Baldev Singh Bhatia, President of Chattisgarh State Cricket Association, had committed "gross contempt" of the court's orders.

"The respondents have knowingly and intentionally breached the orders of this court by chairing and attending the Special General Meeting of the BCCI held on April 18 held at Hotel ITC Maurya, New Delhi," the plea has alleged.

It has claimed that Choudhary had not only invited the disqualified members from all state associations to attend the special general meeting of BCCI, but also chaired and allowed the disqualified members to attend it in his presence.

"It is important to mention that it was the duty of the Amitabh Choudhary, who is the acting secretary of the BCCI, to ensure that no disqualified member of the state cricket association was allowed to attend and participate in the said special general meeting," it alleged.

The apex court, on January 3, had clarified that a person shall be disqualified from being an office-bearer of BCCI if he or she has been in the cash-rich cricket board or any of the state association for a cumulative period of nine years.

It had on March 24 clarified that an office-bearer in a state cricket body for a period of nine years cannot be disqualified from holding a post in apex cricket body BCCI and vice-versa.