IPL fixing: SC directs Mudgal to probe Srinivasan, 12 players

In a setback to beleaguered Narayanaswami Srinivasan, the Supreme Court on Friday directed a probe against him and 12 prominent cricketers in the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal.

The apex court turned down the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s proposal to get the probe done by its panel and handed the task of investigation to the Justice Mukul Mudgal committee, which had earlier probed the scandal and submitted its report, in which names of Srinivasan and 12 cricketers were mentioned, in a sealed envelop.

A bench, headed by Justice A K Patnaik, asked the Mudgal committee, also comprising Additional Solicitor-General L Nageshwar Rao and advocate Niloy Dutta, to complete the probe and file its report in a sealed envelop by the end of August.

It said that a group of investigators, headed by senior IPS officer B B Mishra, will assist the Mudgal committee.

The panel will have the power to probe, search and seize relevant documents and record evidence, it said.

The court, however, said the panel, which will also be assisted by the Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai police, will not have the power to arrest any person.

It also said that Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav, who were appointed interim presidents of the BCCI after Srinivasan stepped aside from the post, will continue in their respective rolls till further orders.

Image: Narayanaswami Srinivasan