Swamy moves SC for urgent hearing on plea against ban on CSK

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) BJP leader Subramanian Swamytoday moved the Supreme Court seeking urgent hearing on hisapplication challenging the two-year ban imposed on the IPLfranchisee, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), over the 2013 bettingscam involving its top official Gurunath Meiyappan. Swamy told a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakurthat the matter was listed for July 26 but it was not taken updue to hearing of entry tax matter by a nine-judgeConstitution bench. The bench, also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, asked Swamy to mention the matter next weekafter which it will be listed. Earlier, in his plea before the Supreme Court, Swamy hadalso sought a CBI probe into the petition filed before it byCricket Association of Bihar (CAB). Swamy had alleged that his earlier plea was wronglyrejected by the Madras High Court on the issue. The high court on January 20 had dismissed Swamy’s PILchallenging the suspension of CSK and Rajasthan Royals, sayingit was not maintainable. Star-studded CSK, then led by M S Dhoni, and RajasthanRoyals were on July 14, last year suspended for two years fromthe Indian Premier League in a clean-up exercise following the2013 betting scam involving their top officials Meiyappan andRaj Kundra. Meiyappan, son-in-law of the then BCCI chief N Srinivasanand a former Team Principal of CSK, and Kundra, co-owner ofJaipur IPL that runs Rajasthan Royals (RR), were suspended forlife from any match conducted by BCCI. The punishments were handed down by a three-member panelheaded by former CJI R M Lodha which was asked by the SupremeCourt to decide the quantum of punishment after finding themguilty of betting. The Madras High Cout had also dismissed a similarpetition by the owner of CSK challenging Justice Lodha panel’sorder. PTI MNL ABA RKS RRTRT