IPL spot-fixing case: Mudgal Committee to investigate the 'sealed envelope'

Justice Mukul Mudgal

The apex court has asked former High Court judge Mukul Mudgal to head the panel that will investigate into the matters of spot and match fixing scandal that broke out in the previous edition of the IPL. The panel will also comprise of solicitor general L Nageswara Rao and senior advocate Nilay Dutta. The panel is expected to submit its report in a sealed envelope by the end of August this year.

The panel has been bestowed with greater investigative powers which includes search and seizure of relevant documents and recording evidence. However, the committee is barred from carrying out any arrests. The committee will be assisted by former senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer BB Mishra.

Apart from the committee members, reports claim that one former cricketer “of repute and integrity” will be chosen by Mudgal and Mishra.

BCCI’s demand of a fresh panel was turned down by the Supreme Court. The new committee will have the privilege of probing into the 13 names mentioned in the ‘sealed envelope’. Sources claim that former BCCI president N. Srinivasan is one of the mentioned names. However, Justice A K Patnaik is glad that the names in the ‘sealed envelope’ have not been disclosed. Patnaik is of the belief that had the names been disclosed, the reputations of “very famous” people “will be damaged beyond repair”.

The court also went on to state that Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav will continue with their interim roles till a further order has been passed. BCCI also requested the court to pass its final order by the first week of August as the BCCI’s annual general elections are held at the end of September. However, the request was denied.

The IPL investigation case began back in June 2013 when Cricket Association of Bihar’s (CAB) secretary Aditya Verma had pointed out the conflict of interest in BCCI’s original two-member inquiry panel. The panel was later termed ‘illegal’ by the Bombay High Court.

The Supreme Court had then appointed a panel comprising of Mudgal, Dutta and Rao to conduct an independent inquiry into the alleged cases of corruption against Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, India Cements, and Rajasthan Royals team owner Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Ltd and spot fixing cases that saw the participation of many players.