N Srinivasan has hijacked the BCCI: Aditya Verma

Aditya Verma

Aditya Verma, the petitioner in the Indian Premier League corruption scandal, was a happy man yesterday after the Supreme Court decided to come hard on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan.


Aditya Verma

After taking into account the Justice Mudgal Committee report, the apex court asked Srinivasan to step down from his post so that there could be a fair probe into the spot fixing saga that rocked Indian cricket last season.

Verma delighted
"Obviously, I am very happy with what the Supreme Court has noted. I have been saying this since the day the IPL scandal broke. Srinivasan has hijacked the BCCI and it was not possible to hold any fair investigations.

Now that the Supreme Court has asked him to step down, I am hoping the house will be set in order soon. Thursday's verdict would be crucial," Verma told mid-day from New Delhi.

Verma, the secretary of the Cricket Association of Bihar, had challenged the BCCI probe committee's verdict in the Bombay High Court that gave a clean chit to Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan. If Srinivasan still remains defiant on not stepping down, the Supreme Court has said it would pass an order on Thursday.

The court's ruling might also put brakes on Srinivasan's recent appointment as the International Cricket Council's first chairman. Now that the apex court has cracked the whip, Verma wants IPL teams Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals to be debarred from the tournament.

"Removing Srinivasan is the first step towards victory. The Mudgal Committee has clearly stated in its report that the owners of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were involved in betting. So, these two teams should be banned as well. I have filed a case in this regards," Verma said.

However, Verma made it clear that IPL should go on. "I have nothing against the game. The IPL should be played, but in a fair manner," he said. Verma chose not to elaborate on the courtroom drama yesterday. "It is better you don't ask me these things. It was quite bad.

The court told the BCCI lawyers that there is a lot of filth in the board. And many such things which I can't share in public. The court has taken a strong view of the sealed envelope. The BCCI's integrity should be restored at any cost," Verma signed off.