The owners of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited – have filed a write petition at the Madras High Court against the Lodha Committee verdict that lead to the franchise's suspension from the Indian Premier League (IPL) for two years.
The Lodha Committee, in its verdict announced on 14 July this year, had suspended CSK and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on charges of spot-fixing.
The petition has alleged the Lodha Committee verdict went against the "fundamental principles of natural justice and fair hearing."
"The Justice Lodha Committee had failed to note that the very reason for appointing a high level committee comprising of former judges of apex court was that they could look into the findings of the Mudgal committee. The Supreme Court had categorically held they were not sitting in appeal over the findings of the Mudgal committee nor were they inclined to look into the materials which were placed before the said committee," according to the petition.
"The Justice Lodha committee always had the authority to call for the material forming the basis of the justice Mudgal committee reports as observed by the apex court in its recent order dated 7.8.2015. Having held that the offence under Article 4.1.1 of the Anti Corruption code was extremely grave, at least the degree of culpability of the franchise ought to have been considered by the Committee," the petition further alleged.
A CSK insider confirmed the news and called the petition as "substantive challenge to the punishment." The source added a lawyer from New Delhi is handling the case for CSK Cricket Limited.
Meanhwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Working Group is well aware of CSK's move. The IPL Governing Council (GC) will be announcing its decision on the impact of the Lodha panel verdict on 28 August after the Working Group submits its study of the 59-page Lodha Committee Report.
