New Delhi:
Rajasthan Royals' co-owner Raj Kundra has been suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India or BCCI till investigations into allegations of betting against him in the Indian Premier League are completed. The decision reportedly came after heated debate at an emergency meeting of the board's working committee in Mumbai today.
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In a statement, Mr Kundra said he is shocked and upset at the unilateral decision taken by the BCCI, and that he is being made a scapegoat by the media based on unproved claims. (Read full statement)
It was also decided at the meeting, chaired by BCCI's interim president Jagmohan Dalmiya, that a commission made up of two retired High Court judges set up by the board will inquire into allegations against Raj Kundra as well as those against other members of the Rajasthan Royals franchise and against Gurunath Meiyappan of the Chennai Super Kings, who has been accused of betting and sharing inside information.
S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, who played for Mr Kundra's team Rajasthan Royals and are in jail, are accused of conceding a pre-determined number of runs in specific overs in the hugely-popular Twenty20 tournament.
The disciplinary committee of the BCCI has issued a showcause notice to the three players. The Board also reportedly discussed an interim report submitted by the BCCI's anti-corruption chief, Ravi Sawani, wherein a life ban has been recommended against the three cricketers.
In a bid to clean cricket and restore its credibility as a 'gentleman's sport,' the working committee of the BCCI also decided to bar cheerleaders and post-match parties from the IPL.
Meanwhile, Ravi Sawant has been appointed as the new BCCI Treasurer, a post held earlier by Ajay Shirke who quit following N Srinivasan's refusal to resign as the President of the Board. Mr Sawant is the chief of the Maharashtra Cricket Association.
The Delhi Police said that Mr Kundra, an NRI businessman and husband of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, had admitted to placing bets to the tune of Rs 1 crore on IPL matches in the last three years. The revelation, they say, sprung up during a 10-hour-long interrogation of Mr Kundra last week.
Mr Kundra, who is a minority shareholder in the Royals with an 11.7 per cent stake that he holds along with his wife, has claimed innocence, saying he hasn't "committed any wrong". He has also said that he will "unhesitatingly forfeit" his shares in the franchise if he is proved guilty.
The Royals franchise had, on Friday, distanced itself from Mr Kundra, saying he was a minority shareholder and would forfeit his shares if found guilty. Rules say that the franchise could be terminated if a team-owner "acts in a way that brings the BCCI/IPL/game of cricket into disrepute."
Mr Srinivasan had, last week, reluctantly "stepped aside" as BCCI chief while allegations of betting and spot-fixing in the IPL - including those against his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan - are investigated. He is not attending today's meeting.
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