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IPL COO Sundar Raman submits resignation, BCCI accepts

November 03, 2015

IMAGE: Sundar Raman, Chief Operating Officer, of the IPL has stepped down. Photograph: BCCI

Sundar Raman, chief operating officer (COO) of the Indian Premier League has resigned.

His resignation has been accepted by the BCCI, and Raman is expected to end his association with the Indian board on Thursday.

Raman was one of the 14 names in the Lodha Committee report on the IPL scam.

The incumbent BCCI president Shashank Manohar had earlier criticized the board's decision to retain Raman post the 2013 spot-fixing and betting scandal, asking the latter to put in his papers by October 31.

Raman met Manohar in Nagpur on Monday to submit his resignation.

"Yes he (Raman) has submitted his resignation to the BCCI President and BCCI President has accepted it," IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla said. 

"No doubt he was a very competent person and looked after IPL all these years with maximum ability and command. I appreciate his contribution to the IPL and wish him best for his future." 

Raman, who had been associated with IPL since its inception, faced a lot of flak following the outbreak of 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal involving former Board President N Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals' then co-owner Raj Kundra.

Despite all the controversies, Raman managed to sail through for two years. 

In December last year when the Supreme Court made certain parts of the Mudgal Committee report public, Raman was decreed to have been 'in touch with a contact of a bookmaker eight times during the last IPL season'. The Mudgal Committee in its report had observed that Raman's role should be further investigated. But Shukla said there was no pressure from inside on Raman to quit.

"I don't see any pressure. So far no report has come against him. He must have given some thought before taking this decision," he said. Justice Mukul Mudgal, who headed the probe committee that investigated 2013 IPL betting scandal, welcomed Raman's resignation.

"There were allegations that incidents of betting were reported to him but action was not taken. That has been put in our report that we submitted to the court," Justice Mudgal said. 

"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. 

Raman is scheduled to appear before the Lodha Committee on November 15.

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