The Disciplinary Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India will meet a few more times before deciding on the fate of Maharashtra first-class cricketer Abhijit Kale, who is facing bribery charges.
"No decision has been taken today as we need to hold a few more meetings for hearing some witnesses," BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said immediately after the first meeting of the committee.
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Asked when the next meeting would be held, he said, "It will be decided later."
Kale, who appeared before the three-member committee on Thursday, however, expressed confidence that he would prove his innocence saying, "I am confident that I will come out clean whatever be the accusations against me."
Apart from Dalmiya, the other members of the committee are the two BCCI vice-presidents, Kamal Morarka and Ranbir Singh Mahendra.
Kale has been accused of allegedly offering Rs 10 lakh [one million] as bribe to national selectors Kiran More (West Zone) and Pranab Roy (East) for a berth in the Australia-bound Indian cricket team last November.
Roy and More also appeared before the committee, which heard Kale's reply to the show cause issued against him after a one-man enquiry committee had earlier found 'prima facie' material against him.
Kale was suspended by the Board on November 21, 2003 on the basis of a complaint by More and Roy.
The Board appointed Bar Council of India chairman D V Subba Rao as Inquiry Commissioner to look into the matter and he had held a one-day hearing, at Vishakhapatnam, in which Kale and two national selectors had appeared.
Later, on the basis of Rao's report, the Board's disciplinary committee framed charges against the cricketer and issued a show cause notice to him.
