Anurag Thakur sacked: Here’s a timeline of the BCCI vs Lodha panel case
Anurag Thakur (File/Express Photo) Anurag Thakur (File/Express Photo)
On Monday, the Supreme Court sacked Anurag Thakur from the post of BCCI president for not complying with its orders. The court gave its ruling on the Lodha Committee’s third status report, submitted on November 14, asking for the disqualification of office-bearers of the BCCI and all state associations, who became ineligible as per the apex court’s July 18, 2016 order. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur said that until the names of administrators are decided, the senior most vice-president of the BCCI will chair the meetings. Here’s everything that has happened so far:
January 2016: The Lodha Committee released its list of reforms which had some major contentious points. The reforms were contested by several BCCI post holders.The recommendations focused mainly on BCCI administrative structures and not on its cricketing functions.
February 4, 2016: Supreme Court declared March 3rd as the deadline for the board to implement the reforms, after seeing that BCCI had not given any formal response on the same.
March 2, 2016: BCCI filed an affidavit in court saying that they have implemented some of the reforms while simultaneously marked the ones it does not agree with- the one state, one vote, age cap of 70 years for an office-bearer or a board official, limits on an office bearer’s and restriction on advertisements during Tests and ODIs.
Also read: Anurag Thakur accused of lying: What is perjury?
July 18, 2016: Supreme Court passed its judgment and asked BCCI to implement a majority of Lodha Committee proposals within four to six months. The court appointed Justice Lodha to oversee the implementation process.
September 21, 2016: BCCI conducted its Annual General Meeting and defied Lodha Panel suggestions by picking a five-member selection panel for the men’s, women’s and junior teams as opposed to three-member panel.
October 1, 2016: BCCI failed to fulfill the deadline suggested by the Supreme Court.
October 3, 2016: The Lodha Committee asked Yes Bank and Bank of Maharashtra to stop disbursing funds from BCCI accounts to state associations. Four days later, in an interim order, the SC said that no further money would be allotted to state associations unless they pass a resolution to implement Lodha committee’s recommendations.
October 18, 2016: After BCCI cited ‘practical difficulties’ in the implementation of all the recommendations suggested by Lodha panel, the Supreme Court passed a judgment adjouring the review petition filed by BCCI challenging the suggestions laid down by the Lodha committee.
October 21, 2016: The Supreme Court said that BCCI debarred the BCCI from distributing funds to state associations until they comply with the Lodha Committee recommendations.
November 21, 2016: The Lodha panel has recommended to the Supreme Court that all BCCI office bearers not meeting with the norms set in the reccommendations be removed from their post and suggested that ex-home secretary GK Pillai be appointed as observer to oversee operations.
December 5, 2016: Arguing that the Lodha Committee has failed to guide the Indian cricket board administrators, Thakur told the Supreme Court that the recommendations made by the panel were not in the interest of cricket and would lead to “great chaos”.
December 15, 2016: Supreme Court came down hard on BCCI president Anurag Thakur saying that he “appears to have prima facie committed perjury” and asked BCCI to propose names who could replace the existing office-bearers and preside over the game in the country. The board, however, had ruled out the possibility of submitting any names.
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