IPL spot-fixing: Who chose the BCCI investigating panel?

With the BCCI appointing a three-member inquiry panel to probe the ongoing IPL spot-fixing scandal, questions are being raised about the appointment of its members.

While the panel - Justice TJ Chouta, Justice R Balasubramanian and BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale - has been officially appointed by the IPL operations committee, a Times of India report says there is speculation among IPL members that their appointment was significantly influenced by a certain PS Raman.

Raman has been the BCCI’s preferred senior council ever since N Srinivasan took over as the president, and interestingly, he is also the counsel for Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, who has been arrested on charges of betting and spot-fixing.

As reported earlier by Firstpost , Gurunath Meiyappan was accompanied by Raman while he was travelling from Madurai to Mumbai, when summoned by the Mumbai Police.

Questions are also being raised about the two retired judges in the panel - TJ Chouta and R Balasubramanian, considering both of them are from Tamil Nadu, a state where Srinivasan - who is also the MD of India Cements - has tremendous clout.

Justice Chouta said on Wednesday that he would not let anyone interfere with his investigation. “I have years of legal experience behind me and have dealt with the work of many such commissions. No one has dared to interefere in my work and I will not allow it to happen now either,” he told media.

Despite the clamour for his resignation growing louder however, Srinivasan refuses to resign as the BCCI president.

From Sports Minister Jitendra Prasad to former President of the BCCI Jagmohan Dalmiya, the calls for him to step down at least until the probe against him is over, have grown more strident.

Here is the latest statement of BCCI President N Srinivasan:

“I saw Shukla’s latest interview and it is very clear that he has said that I should disassociate with the procedure. In Kolkata, I said the same — I will have nothing to do with the commission, it’s appointment and it’s probe. This is what Shukla said. He has reiterated what I said in Kolkata. The commission is independent — there are two independent judges and the secretary of the Board. They have powers to endorse punishments. We will just await that result. I have nothing else to say. Why don’t you guys relax.” 

You can read the TOI report here.