New Delhi, Dec 9: In another difficult day for side-stepped BCCI president N Srinivasan, the Supreme Court Monday questioned his intention, asking why he was adopting a detour to attend the cricketing body's working committee meeting after stating his desire to keep himself out of the decision-making process for the sake of transparency.
"On one hand, you say that I want to be out of decision-making process, you set aside and enter through Tamil Nadu Cricket Association route in the decision-making process (the working committee)," said the apex court bench of Justice TS Thakur and Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla.
'Your son-in-law has been indicted'
In the course of the hearing, the court asked Srinivasan: "You are BCCI president. Your son-in-law has been indicted. The question is who will punish him. Would it be a committee appointed by us? We can do it. We want BCCI to do it in a dispassionate, objective, and free from bias manner."
"We have a practical and realistic situation. Can we trust Srinivasan with the task," the court asked Sibal as he said: "You please distance me from that and appoint an agency and judges to undertake the exercise and action (Quantum of punishment). Please don't punish me vicariously for the acts of someone."
"There should not be an iota of doubt that I will directly or indirectly influence the course of action against my son-in-law," Sibal told the court.
At this the court asked: "Would that body not be competent to pronounce the quantum of punishment, that Srinivasan will not contest election for next ten years."
Sensing the possibility of what may befall on Srinivasan, senior counsel CA Sundaram, appearing for BCCI, said: "BCCI rules will decide the extent, form, grade and layers of punishment."
Sibal said his client Srinivasan wanted the court to appoint a disciplinary committee independent of BCCI to decide on the matter.
'Your investment in CSK will be in danger'
While Sibal wanted the said committee to confine itself to the findings of the Mudgal Committee only, senior counsel Nalini Chidambram wanted that such a committee, if formed, should also examine the question of conflict of interest and alleged cover-up by Srinivasan.
Sibal said he had no problem if the committee examined the question of conflict of interest in general terms but not in the context of the allegation specific against Srinivasan. He also said that conflict of interest should not result in a penalty but post facto it can be addressed to deal with it.
At this, the court said that if the High Level Committee comes to the conclusion that conflict of interest arose in the sporting event then for the sake of the purity of the game, it can't be allowed.
"If you want to continue as president of BCCI then your investment in CSK will be in danger," the court said.
At this, Sibal said: "My client should not be prevented from contesting election. He has his rights. It will affect his reputation."
IANS