Srinivasan will step aside for fair probe: BCCI to SC

BCCI president N Srinivasan is ready to step aside - as he did last year - to ensure fair probe into the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal, sources revealed. The Indian cricket board also assured Supreme Court that they are ready to take action against those who are named in Justice Mukul Mudgal report. In a response to BCCI's proposal, the apex court said they have to think hard for the benefit of cricket and pass order. BCCI has also reportedly offered to the SC that the Chennai Police may have a time bound probe into the scam. Meanwhile, petitioner's lawyer Harish Salve said MS Dhoni guilty of corrupt conduct, gave false statements to Justice Mukul Mudgal panel. Salve also said Dhoni's deposition on Gurunath Meiyappan was incorrect and in face of such allegations, Chennai Super Kings should be suspended. Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court lashed out at N Srinivasan for continuing as president of BCCI. A two-judge bench said that it was "nauseating" that he headed the board when it was obvious that there cannot be a fair or transparent probe into betting and spot-fixing charges against his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and others as long as he did so. The bench of Justices AK Patnaik and FMI Kalifulla said, "We are of the firm opinion that if the (BCCI) president does not step down, no fair investigation can take place. Why are you (Srinivasan) not stepping down? It is so nauseating." The "explosive" sealed cover report given by the court-appointed three-member panel headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal provided ammunition for the forenoon fireworks in the Supreme Court. The sealed cover report had talked about the alleged involvement of "six India capped players" in IPL irregularities. The bench intended to open the sealed cover report and read it out in open court. But BCCI's counsel CA Sundaram repeatedly pleaded with the court to desist from doing so while saying the media had already speculated and damaged several reputations. The bench acceded to the request but dismissed BCCI's promise to take corrective measures based on the recommendations in the Justice Mudgal panel report to rid cricket of its maladies. Referring to the sealed cover report, the bench said, "The allegations are so serious and are of such nature that BCCI cannot be entrusted with the investigation any more. We will not like to damage anyone. But we are of the firm opinion that if the (BCCI) president does not step down, no fair investigation can take place." The bench asked, "Why are you (Srinivasan) sticking to the president's post?" When Sundaram tried to make light of the betting allegations, which the panel found true against Meiyappan, by saying it was prevalent everywhere in India, from elections to everything else, the bench cut him short by saying, "You have not seen what is there in the sealed cover report."