SC reserves order on plea against CSK's ban from IPL

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a plea filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy challenging the two-year ban imposed on Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings.

A bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said that it will pronounce an order in the matter.

Swamy, in his plea, has alleged that there are no allegations against either Narayanswami Srinivasan or against any members of CSK and hence the ban imposed by the Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha panel is "illegal, arbitrary and unreasonable".

The Lodha panel had banned CSK and Rajasthan Royals after holding that its top officials like Raj Kundra and Gurunath Meiyappan were found involved in betting.

Swamy had moved the apex court on August 26, seeking an urgent hearing on his application challenging the two-year ban imposed on the IPL franchise over the 2013 betting scandal.

The Madras High Court on January 20 had dismissed Swamy's PIL challenging the suspension of CSK and Rajasthan Royals, saying it was not maintainable.

Star-studded CSK, then led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and Rajasthan Royals were on July 14, last year suspended for two years from the IPL in a clean-up exercise following the 2013 betting scam involving their top officials Meiyappan and Kundra.

Meiyappan, son-in-law of former BCCI chief Srinivasan and a former Team Principal of CSK, and Kundra, co-owner of Jaipur IPL that runs Rajasthan Royals, were suspended for life from any match conducted by the BCCI.

The punishment was handed down by a three-member panel headed by former Chief Justice of India Rajendra Mal Lodha which was asked by the Supreme Court to decide the quantum of punishment after finding them guilty of betting.

The Madras High Cout had also dismissed a similar petition by the owner of CSK challenging Justice Lodha panel's order.

Image: Chennai Super Kings

Photograph: BCCI

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