SC asks ex-BCCI prez Thakur to tender unconditional apology

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday asked former BCCI president Anurag Thakur to tender an apology to get relief from the contempt proceedings initiated against him.

The apex court directed him to file a “one-page short affidavit” tendering apology, making it clear that it was not going to consider his earlier affidavit of apology.

A Bench comprising Judge Dipak Misra, Judge A M Khanwilkar and Judge D Y Chandrachud said “We will grant you one more opportunity. We suggest that you file a one-page affidavit in categorical language that you tender an unequivocal and unconditional apology for the misinformation or miscommunication that happened.”

The apex court also asked Thakur to be present on July 14 to tender the apology.

The Bench indicated that it is willing to accept the apology and close the contempt proceedings against Thakur, a Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh.

Senior advocate P S Patwalia, appearing for Thakur, said his client had a very good case on merit through which it can be proved that he did no wrong.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae (friend of court) in the matter said if the court is magnanimous in granting pardon to Thakur then he has nothing to say, but the apology should be unqualified and explicit in terms.

The Bench, however, said it would not go into the merit of the case.