Association of Bihar Cricket challenges BCCI's new registration

Chennai, Mar 15 (UNI) Alleging that the new registration of the Board of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI) was fraudulent and grossly illegal, the Association of Bihar Cricket (ABC) has moved Madras High Court seeking to restrain BCCI from acting or taking any steps based on the registration granted on September 25, 2006, including the new Memorandum and Rules and Regulations.

A Division bench comprising Justice S J Mukhopadhya and R Sudhakar, before whom the Public Interest Litigation filed by ABC came up for hearing, ordered notice to BCCI, the Secretary, Department of Commercial Taxes and Registration and three others.

The ABC sought to restrain BCCI from taking any steps to amend its Rules and Regulations submitted on March 1, 2006 and September 22, 2006 or any other amendment till disposal of the petition.

It said it filed the PIL in a representative character challenging 'gross illegalities and fraud' committed by the authorities concerned in collusion with BCCI in the new registration. The ABC said BCCI was a society registered on November 28, 1940 under the Central Legislation of The Societies Registration Act, 1860 at Madras. After enactment of The Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, the 1860 Act as far as it applied to Tamil Nadu was repealed. Under Section 53 of the 1975 Act, the BCCI stood registered under that act as did its memorandum and Rules and Regulations.

The BCCI at its 71st AGM, held on September 29, 2000 resolved to amend some of its Rules and Regulations. After six years, it applied to the Secretary, Department of Commercial Taxes and Registration for registration of these amendments and it was pending.

While so, on September 25, 2006, the BCCI addressed a letter to the Registrar of Societies, Chennai-Central seeking a registration certificate to shift the jurisdiction from North Chennai to Central Chennai as its registered office was located in the jurisdiction of Central Chennai. Te same day, the Registrar of Societies, Chennai Central issued a Certificate of Registration.

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