India Supreme Court removes Anurag Thakur as BCCI president

HIGHLIGHTS

SC asks Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke to immediately cease and desist from BCCI work
SC disqualifies all BCCI and state bodies office bearers who have failed to meet new norms set by Lodha Panel
SC to appoint a panel of eminent persons to govern BCCI

NEW DELHI (TOI): In the hearing that will effectively decide the future of cricket administration in the country, India’s Supreme Court has removed Anurag Thakuras president of the BCCI with a showcause notice issued in regards to charges of perjury and contempt of court. Anurag Thakur has until January 19 to reply to the Supreme Court’s charges, as does Ajay Shirke , the BCCI secretary.

The Justice RM Lodha Committee’s recommendations for a revamp of the BCCI were also taken into serious consideration, with the SC disqualifying all the board and its state association office bearers who have failed to meet the new norms set by the panel. The SC will replace the top brass of the BCCI with a new panel of administrators, also to be decided on January 19.

The bench, led by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, had in the previous hearing on December 15 threatened to initiate perjury charges against Anurag Thakur for allegedly lying about asking the International Cricket Council (ICC) to term the Lodha reforms as governmental interference. During that hearing, Subramaniam told then Chief Justice of India TS Thakur that Anurag Thakur had lied on oath to the SC, having written in his affidavit that he had sought Shashank Manohar’s opinion as ICC chairman. Subramanian argued that since Manohar had denied Anurag Thakur by saying that the question had been posed during an ICC meeting, the BCCI president had tried to obstruct the reform process.