BCCI v Lodha: Anurag Thakur committed perjury, suggests Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: The stand-off between the Supreme Court and the BCCI over reforms that span the entire breadth of cricket administration in the country has taken a serious turn, with the apex court suggesting on Thursday that BCCI president Anurag Thakur is guilty of having committed perjury by writing to the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier this year which, in the view of amicus curiae Gopal Subramaniam, amounted to outside interference.

In October, the Supreme Court had asked Thakur to file a personal affidavit on details of his talks with ICC CEO David Richardson in connection with the Lodha Committee's recommendations. Thakur had reportedly contacted cricket's governing body in regards to the inclusion of a Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) member in the newly-formed apex council of the BCCI, and as per the ICC rules a national cricket board must be free of government interference and any infringement of this could result in de-recognition of member bodies.

While filling his affidavit in the apex court in October, Thakur denied that he had asked the ICC for any letter and instead claimed that he had, during the ICC's financial review meeting in Dubai on August 6-7, requested ICC chief Manohar for clarification on whether the Lodha reforms were viewed as government interference in the running of the BCCI.

During Thursday's hearing on the BCCI v Lodha Committee, Subramaniam told the Chief Justice of India TS Thakur on Thursday that Thakur had lied on oath to the Supreme Court, having written in his affidavit that he had sought Manohar's opinion as ICC chairman. Subramanian argued that since Manohar had denied Thakur by saying that the question had been posed during an ICC meeting, the BCCI president had tried to obstruct the reform process.

The BCCI, having rejected Subramanian's suggestion for names for a new administrative panel, including that of former Union Home Secretary GK Pillar as an observer, now has one week come back with the candidates it feels are suited to run Indian cricket.

The judgement on the matter has been pushed back to January 3, a week before CJI Thakur is set to retire.