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The Supreme Court on Tuesday said Narayanaswami Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan's role in the Indian Premier League betting and spot-fixing scandal seems like "insider trading" and agreed to hear a plea to make public the names of cricketers who were mentioned in the Justice Mudgal Committee report.
"If Meiyappan was leaking information and someone else was putting bet, then it is like insider trading," a bench, comprising Justices T S Thakur and F M I Kalifulla, said, when it was submitted that Srinivasan's son-in-law was a part of Chennai Super Kings and always with the team members at all functions, whether it was dug-out or making team strategy.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB), on whose plea the apex court directed the probe into the IPL-6 betting and spot-fixing scandal, said the stand taken by Srinivasan and India Cements that Meiyappan was just a cricket enthusiast was to cover him up and the IPL franchise in the scam.
The bench also raised questions on why the second report of the Mudgal Commiittee was silent on the alleged cover up of Meiyappan by the CSK owner, India Cements and Srinivasan, which was stated in its first report.
In a two-hour proceeding, the CAB pleaded that the first report should be read with the second one and the allegation of cover up is proved if all the facts in the case are kept in mind.
Salve submitted that the apex court should consider its earlier judgement on the Central Vigilance Commission in which it said that institutions' integrity must be maintained, and going by that verdict action should be taken against Srinivasan.
"Ceaser's wife has to be above suspicion. BCCI is not a statutory body but it is performing public function and it must come under judicial review," he said.
He urged the court to make public identity of players who were named as Individual 2 and Individual 3 in the Mudgal Committee report to end speculation regarding their identity.
Salve submitted that he committed a mistake in an earlier hearing by pleading to the court not to disclose the names but the entire Mudgal Committee report must be made public now, a proposition which was stiffly opposed by the BCCI.
The bench said it will consider the plea to disclose the names of players on the next date of hearing and adjourned the case to November 27.
Image: Gurunath Meiyappan
Photograph: BCCI