Bombay High Court fixed 24 March as the day of hearing after admitting a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Aditya Verma against BCCI and its president N Srinivasan.
Verma is the secretary of Cricket Association Bihar and has alleged Srinivasan to have a conflict of interest and filed two PILs against him.
The first one challenge BCCI's amendments to rule 6.2.4 of the regulation for players, team officials, managers, umpires and administrators. No player or official was allowed to have direct or indirect commercial interest in any of the events conducted by the BCCI, according to the earlier clause. It was later amended to exclude events like IPL or Champions League Twenty20. Verma alleges that the amendment led to Srinivasan owning an IPL franchise.
The amendment in clause 15 of the BCCI rules and regulations, 2012, allows the president to stay in post even after the completion of his three-year term. This too has been challenged since it contradicts the original clause made in 2007. Here again, the PIL questions Srinivasan's intensions.
The court has asked petitioner Verma to file a rejoinder of BCCI's reply to the same PIL.
The second PIL suggests appointing of an independent governance review committee that would overlook the rules and regulations of the BCCI. Regarding this, the BCCI has borrowed time to file a reply.
The division bench comprising Justices SJ Vazifdar and BP Colabawala will hear both the PILs on 24 March.
"The High Court has asked us and the BCCI to come up with our respective replies and fixed 24 March as the next date of hearing," Verma told Hindustan Times.
Verma's petition is similar to the one filed by AC Muthiah, who has pointed fingers at the conflict of interest. He had moved to the Supreme Court in April 2010 after losing the case in the Madras High Court. But, he withdrew his case in October 2013.
