NEW DELHI: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ombudsman Justice (retired) DK Jain is set to get the Hardik Pandya-KL Rahul matter referred to him officially by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) when they meet in the capital on Thursday.
Speaking to IANS, a senior board executive confirmed that the CoA would refer the matter to the ombudsman once they meet.
“The CoA will hand the matter to the ombudsman on Thursday when they meet in Delhi. It is one of the points that will be raised in a meeting which will also see the members discuss the ICC making it clear that no action can be taken on any member board on non-cricketing matters,” the executive (read BCCI CEO Rahul Johri) said.
Apart from the three committee members – chairman Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji and new inductee Lt. Gen Ravi Thodge, there will be lawyers as well as the board discusses a few other important things from the recently concluded ICC meet, IANS reports.
Pandya and Rahul had been suspended briefly for their crass conduct in a celebrity chat show during the Australia series.
But lack of an ombudsman saw the CoA removing the temporary suspension.
Justifying the action, the CoA had issued the following statement at the time: “The Committee of Administrators (CoA) had, by emails dated 11.01.2019 and in exercise of Rule 41(6) of the Constitution of BCCI suspended Hardik Pandya and K.L. Rahul in view of the allegations of misconduct against them, pending adjudication of the allegations under Rule 46 of the approved BCCI Constitution.
“Since the adjudication of all allegations of misconduct against any cricketer registered with, inter alia, the BCCI is required to be undertaken by the BCCI Ombudsman, whose appointment is pending directions of the Supreme Court, the CoA is the of the view that the interim suspension orders dated 11.01.2019 should be presently lifted with immediate effect.
“The above matter and decision has been taken with the concurrence of Amicus Curiae P.S. Narasimha. In view of the above, the suspension orders dated 11.01.2019 is immediately lifted pending appointment and adjudication of the allegations by the BCCI Ombudsman.”
The Supreme Court had on February 21 appointed Justice Jain as the ombudsman and the latter was asked to take charge immediately.
