BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke's post is now in question

Ajay Shirke whose election as BCCI secretary has attracted the ire of the Lodha Panel

Ajay Shirke whose election as BCCI secretary has attracted the ire of the Lodha Panel

New Delhi: In a stern warning, the Supreme Court yesterday told BCCI that it would make the cricket body "fall in line" if it did not abide by the court orders and saying the cash-rich organisation cannot behave like "lords" and think they are "law unto themselves".

The warning and admonition came after Justice RM Lodha committee said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had "ignored" the apex court's directions and its President Anurag Thakur had given several "very objectionable statements" undermining the court.

The Lodha panel, which sought apex court's direction to "supersede" the current BCCI office bearers with immediate effect and appoint a panel of administrators to ensure "smooth transition" from the old to the new system recommended by it, told the court that all decisions taken by BCCI which were contrary to the July 18 verdict be held "non est" (does not exist).

It said the conduct of BCCI office bearers in not complying with the apex court directions and repeatedly issuing statements to undermine the authority of the court and members of the Lodha panel, had "created serious impediments" in implementation of the apex court directions.

Senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for BCCI, said they had complied with most of the directions and would gradually comply with the rest. To this, the bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur said, "Law need not to be defied. We are not happy about the things going on. We anticipated this approach from BCCI but this is not done. You will have to fall in line with the directions of the court."

'Frustrates implementation'
The bench has given BCCI time till October 6 to file its reply to the status report of the Lodha panel, which has recommended structural reforms in the cricket body. In its status report filed in the apex court, the Lodha panel said that some of the decisions, including Ajay Shirke's unanimous election as Secretary of BCCI for remaining part of the term, taken by BCCI at its September 21 Annual General Meeting were violative of directives issued by the committee on August 31 and "frustrates the implementation" of the apex court's judgement.

The Lodha committee further said that Thakur had not responded to the several e-mails sent to him and also the direction to appear before the panel on August 9. "He has also requested the ICC to issue a letter stating that this committee amounts to governmental interference. In addition, over the course of the last few weeks, several very objectionable statements have been made by him to the press which undermine this (Supreme) court and this committee," the panel's report said.

It said that besides the "clear transgressions", the BCCI had repeatedly taken steps to undermine the committee and the apex court with several statements and actions which were "grossly out of order and would even constitute contempt."

'Supersede officebearers'
"Directions of this court have been ignored, actions have been taken to present a fait accompli to the committee, the directives of the committee have been breached, the member associations have not been duly intimated about the directions of the committee and the timelines fixed by it," it said.

In its status report, the panel sought the apex court's direction to "supersede the present office bearers of the BCCI with immediate effect, and appoint in their place a panel of administrators of the BCCI to ensure the smooth transition from the old to the new system recommended by the committee."

The panel said the BCCI was in no position to ensure that the seven timelines were complied with. It said the report was restricted to the non-compliance by BCCI and does not deal with conduct of state associations.