Detail the steps taken to implement Lodha panel suggestions: HC to Kerala Cricket Association

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has directed the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) to file an affidavit detailing the steps it has taken to implement the recommendations of Justice Lodha Committee which was appointed by the Supreme Court to suggest reforms in cricket.

The court issued the order on the petition filed by one A Mohammed Najeeb who submitted the Supreme Court had directed all state cricket associations to implement the Committee’s recommendations and directives. The court also posted the hearing of the case to April 11.

As per the recommendations, KCA was required to immediately amend its bye-laws incorporating all the directives of the Committee, in particular, the changes with respect to tenure, restrictions and number of office bearers, disqualifications and cooling off period and cap on age limit.

“However, KCA has not taken any steps to amend its by-laws. This is intentional as such amendments will lead to all present office-bearers being deemed ineligible to continue,” Najeeb submitted.

“Moreover, the Committee had fixed November 2016 as the deadline for the election which had to be conducted by all state cricket associations for selecting their office-bearers. However, no election has been conducted till date,” he said.

He said in a special general body meeting of KCA which was convened on January 2 last year, some members who became ineligible to continue had submitted their resignation.

“But without conducting fresh elections, several other persons were co-opted at the same meeting, in violation of the Committee’s recommendations,” he submitted.

“Gross misappropriation of funds also took place through manipulated audits, withdrawals under fake expenditure heads, illegal awarding of tenders and instances of inflated expenditure, payment to bogus and non-existent companies and irregularity in the purchase of sports goods,” submitted Najeeb.