Picture Credit Mykhel
The Committee of Administrators (COA)comprising Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji in a scathing 26-page report (with 174 pages of annexures) has asked the Supreme Court to remove the top three BCCI office-bearers including acting president CK Khanna and secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary, for non-compliance of Lodha Panel reforms. COA sought the removal in its fifth Status Report that was submitted to the Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, reported PTI.
File Picture Credit : The Indian Express
The report was submitted by a two-member COA have asked that the governance, management and administration of the board should be handed over to them along with a professional group headed by CEO Rahul Johri till the elections are held.
“It is clear that current office-bearers are not in position to make good on their undertakings and ensure that reforms mandated by this Hon’ble Court is implemented,” read the report . The COA also mentioned that the Supreme Court order on July 24 was “deliberately misconstrued” during the BCCI’s Special General Meeting on July 26 where office-bearers asked CEO Rahul Johri, the administrative staff and the legal team to leave the meeting.
The COA also mentioned how the BCCI treated Supreme Court’s neutral expression “to bring in a series of issues aimed at unravelling the core of the reforms mandated including disqualifications of office-bearers, constitution of Apex Council, clear demarcation of functions, powers, duties and obligations between professional management and apex council.”
“Describing these issues as “impracticable” or “difficult” is nothing short of “gross abuse/contempt of the court order dated July 24, 2017 and ought to attract appropriate consequences,” it added. In this report, the COA also mentioned BCCI’s failure to appoint an Ombudsman since Justice AP Shah’s tenure ended in September, 2016. It further added that there has been resistance to adopt a new fund disbursement policy as the addition of members would reduce the share of the existing units.
Meanwhile , Speaking to CricketNext, a flabbergasted Amitabh said that he was completely stunned by the turn of events and didn’t know what led to such a call. In fact, he went on to add that he has been constantly trying to get the Lodha panel’s reforms implemented in the BCCI meetings, copies of which are in possession of the reporter.
