IPL spot-fixing: Mukul Mudgal blames India Cements

New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Retired judge Mukul Mudgal, probing the IPL spot-fixing scandal, in his report submitted to the Supreme Court on Monday said that India Cements, which owned Chennai Super Kings, failed to comply with the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Code for participants.

Mudgal in his report has indicted BCCI president Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, who was the team principal of Chennai Super Kings, for his role in betting in Indian Premier League (IPL). Srinivasan, who owns India Cements, had called Gurunath just a ‘cricket enthusiast’ when the scandal came to light.

Mudgal, who was appointed by the Supreme Court to carry out a detailed probe into the spot-fixing and the betting scandal in last year’s IPL, in his 170-page report said that India Cements failed to carry out its obligation according to Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) anti-corruption code.

“It was the burden of India Cements Limited, franchisee of IPL team, Chennai Super Kings, to have ensured that each of its team officials comply with the operational regulations including without limitation the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code for Participants….A finding against Gurunath Meiyappan would therefore necessarily entail a finding on the failure of India Cements Limited in carrying out its said obligations,” said Mudgal in his report to the apex court.

Mudgal said that the BCCI should act against Gurunath Meiyappan in the same way it did against three Rajasthan Royals cricketers during the pendency of criminal proceedings.

“In similar circumstances, the BCCI had proceeded against the players of IPL team Rajasthan Royals during the pendency of the criminal proceedings. The BCCI should act in a similar manner in matters pertaining to allegations of betting and passing on inside information against Gurunath Meiyappan and need not await the conclusion of the criminal trial in CR No. 61/2013,” said Mudgal.