MUDGAL SAYS RESIGNATION ‘BETTER LATE THAN NEVER’

NEW DELHI: The resignation of Sundar Raman is a midpoint as far as investigations into his role in the 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing was concerned, Justice Mukul Mudgal said on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court-appointed Mudgal committee in its report on the scandal had said that Raman had made several phone calls to the contact of an alleged bookie during one season.

Asked for his reaction to Raman’s resignation, Justice Mudgal said: “There are two points of view. One is, when an allegation is made and investigation starts, one should not remain in the post. The other is, till nothing is proved a person stays in the post. The Hon’ble Supreme Court observed that further investigation of his role should take place. He should have resigned when the Supreme Court ordered investigation. These are personal decisions and one can’t impose one’s moral standards on the other. But better late than never.”

He added: “I think Mr. Sundar Raman has taken a halfway house before the report of Justice RM Lodha committee comes. There were allegations that incidents of betting were reported to him but action was not taken. That has been put in our report submitted to the court.”

The Justice RM Lodha committee, appointed by the Supreme Court in January, was tasked with giving recommendations based on the Mudgal panel’s report.

The Mudgal panel had said that observations made regarding Raman’s role and conduct simply gave rise to a serious suspicion about his involvement in the betting affairs of the team owners/ officials apart from suggesting that having received information about betting activities in connection with IPL matches, he remained “totally inert” in the matter instead of taking suitable action warranted under the circumstances.