New Delhi, May 16: In a setback to beleaguered N Srinivasan, the Supreme Court today directed a probe against him and 12 prominent players in the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal.
The apex court turned down BCCI’S proposal to get the probe done by its panel and gave the task of investigation to Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee which had earlier also conducted the probe in the scandal and had submitted in a sealed envelope its report in which names of Srinivasan and 12 cricketers were mentioned.
A bench headed by Justice A K Patnaik asked the Mudgal Committee, also comprising Additional Solicitor General L Nageshwar Rao and advocate Nilay Dutta, to complete the probe and file its report in a sealed envelope by the end of August.
It said that a group of investigators headed by senior IPS officer B B Mishra will assist the Mudgal Committee in the probe. The panel would have the power to probe, search and seize relevant documents and record evidence, it said.
“We are of the considered opinion that the allegations against the 13 persons including Mr N Srinivasan mentioned in the report submitted in the sealed cover should be investigated into by the Justice Mudgal Committee and the team of investigators because if a new Probe Committee is entrusted to inquire into the allegations, there is likelihood of the allegations being leaked to the public and such leakage will damage the reputation of the 13 persons beyond repair,” it said.
The court directed the Centre to pass appropriate orders placing the services of Mishra, a 1983 batch IPS officer, at the disposal of the Mudgal Committee till completion of the probe and submission of the report.
“B B Mishra and the other officers of the investigating team will have the powers to investigate, require attendance of witnesses, the power to examine witnesses, the power to search and the power to seize and all other powers necessary for investigation except the power to arrest and the source of these powers of investigation will be this order passed by this Court,” it said.
The court, however, said that the panel, which would also
be assisted by Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai police, will not reveal anything regarding the investigation to others and the media and will maintain absolute confidentiality.
It also said that Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav, who were appointed as interim presidents of BCCI after Srinivasan stepped aside from the post, will continue to do their job till further orders.
“The matters will be listed in first week of September, 2014 for further hearing before the appropriate Bench. In the meanwhile, Mr Sunil Gavaskar and Mr Shivlal Yadav will continue to exercise the powers of the President of the BCCI as per the order dated March 28 of this Court,” it said.
The court had on April 29 reserved its order on constituting a probe panel to investigate allegations against Srinivasan and 12 cricketers after BCCI and Srinivasan opposed further investigation by Mudgal Committee and pleaded for setting up a fresh panel.
It had said it cannot come to any finding regarding the allegations levelled by the Mudgal Committee report against Srinivasan and 12 others until a duly constituted probe committee looks into the allegations.
Earlier, the apex court had asked the Committee whether it will be willing to conduct further probe against the 13 in the scandal.
BCCI had also informed the court that it had decided to constitute a three-member panel comprising former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice J N Patel, ex-CBI director R K Raghavan and former all-rounder Ravi Shastri. (PTI)
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