BCCI chief

sports will always remain,” he said.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, held that “Thakur has by his actions and conduct rendered himself unfit for continuance as President of BCCI... He has obstructed and impeded the implementation of the directions containedinthejudgment...thakurisliableto be proceeded with for contempt of court for having obstructed and impeded the orders of this court. Thirdly, prima facie we are of the view that Mr Thakur has made statements on affidavitbeforethiscourtwhicharefalsetohis knowledge.”

“Anuragthakur,presidentofbcci,andshri Ajay Shirke, Secretary, BCCI, shall forthwith ceaseanddesistfrombeingassociatedwiththe working of BCCI,” said the court.

“The President, Secretary and office-bearers of BCCI have obstructed the implementation of the final directions of this court on the basis of a specious plea that its state associations are not willing to abide by the directions. This court, having furnished sufficient opportunities to BCCI to comply, is constrained now to take recourse to coercive steps to ensure that the directions contained in its final judgment and order are not left to be a writ in sand,” it said.

Thecourtsaiditwouldreplacethetopbrass withapanelofadministrators.untilthenames of the administrators are decided, BCCI’S senior vice-president, if he is not disqualified for any other reason, shall perform the duties of the president. The court will examine the names for the panel of administrators on January 19.

“The committee of administrators would have the power to issue all appropriate directionstofacilitateduesupervisionandcontrol,” said the court, clarifying that all other BCCI office-bearers may continue, subject to their filingundertakingstoabidebythecourt’sorders on reforms.

Thebenchalsoreiterateditsdirectivethata person shall be disqualified from being a BCCI office-bearer if he is not an Indian citizen; has turned 70; is a minister or a government servant; has been charged by a court of law in a criminalcase;holdsanyofficeorpostinasports orathleticassociationorfederationapartfrom cricket.

“Persons who have a vested interest in continuing in their positions in spite of the norms noted above have ensured that the writ of the court is obstructed and impeded. We need to emphasise that the turf of the cricket field is not a personal turf or fiefdom,” stated the court.

“We must hence order and direct that no person shall hereafter continue to be or be entitled for appointment as office-bearer of BCCI or a state association in breach of the above norms. All existing office-bearers of BCCI and of the state associations who do not fulfill the above norms shall, with effect from the date of this order, stand disqualified.”

During an earlier hearing, the court had threatened to initiate contempt and perjury proceedings against Thakur for allegedly issuing a false statement on seeking a letter from the ICC to emphasise that the BCCI’S registration would be in peril if the Lodha panel’s recommendation on appointing a CAG nominee was accepted.

While Thakur said he had only sought a clarification regarding this, ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar’s email response to the Lodha panel stated that Thakur had indeed asked for a letter with respect to the CAG nominee.