Closed BCCI doors greet court official

The Madras high court-appointed Interim Administrator of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, retired Justice S Mohan, could not take charge on Saturday as he was greeted by locked doors at the BCCI head office in Mumbai.

Mohan, who reached Mumbai on Saturday morning, following the Madras high court order on Friday, restraining the newly-elected BCCI office-bearers from functioning, was "shocked" to see the locked doors of the BCCI's headquarters.

"I am very shocked. I had come here out of respect for the high court order and this is the treatment that I get," said Mohan.

"It is a very sorry state of affairs. I had come to take over as Interim Administrator as per the order of the high court but I have been prevented from doing so," he added.

Asked whether the BCCI had been informed about his arrival, he replied: "They had all been informed through the high court order."

Mohan said he would not interfere with the cricketing matters of the Board, like team selection.

"I won't interfere with the game of cricket at all. I will write to everybody concerned -- state associations, banks and committees and say that I have taken over as Interim Administrator as per the high court order."

Asked whether he would appoint an ad-hoc committee, he said, "I may have to. But I don't intend to interfere in the running of cricket."

On whether he will look into the television rights' issue, he replied, "I am yet to take over. I will go over the files first. TV rights may come up; right now it is sub judice."

Asked whether he would return on Monday, he said, "I have some personal plans. I will have to go back."

Meanwhile, a top BCCI source said the office was locked because the staff was given an off to compensate for 'Ganesh Visarjan' on September 27.

Mohan, who played as an off-spinner for Triplicane club, stayed at the premises for about 25 minutes after which he left in a police van with about dozen armed personnel.