The Supreme Court of India has referred the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) dispute to Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna for alignment with a related case involving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The case involves challenges on appointments violating HCA’s constitution and proposed amendments raising concerns among stakeholders regarding BCCI compliance.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (Jan 3rd) referred the long-pending dispute involving the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna for tagging it with a related case concerning the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Satish Chandra Sharma highlighted the potential overlap between the HCA case and another matter addressing the alignment of state cricket associations’ constitutions with that of the BCCI.
The HCA case stems from a challenge to the appointment of an ombudsman and ethics officer by its apex council, which allegedly violated the association’s constitution.
Initially, a Hyderabad civil court suspended these appointments, but the Telangana High Court overturned the decision. The high court reinstated the appointments and dismissed the original suit, prompting the HCA to approach the Supreme Court.
In August 2022, during the pendency of the case, the apex court appointed a supervisory committee chaired by a retired Andhra Pradesh High Court chief justice to oversee the HCA’s operations. However, in February 2023, the court dissolved the committee and emphasized the need for fair elections, which were conducted under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge.
Following the elections, a single-member committee proposed constitutional amendments for the HCA. These amendments triggered widespread objections and debates among stakeholders, raising concerns about their alignment with BCCI regulations.
The bench observed,
“Having given our anxious consideration and without going into the merits of the matters, once the issue is raised that the recommendations made by the single-member committee…may be in conflict or not in consonance with the constitution, regulations, and guidelines of the BCCI, it would only be appropriate that these matters…be heard by the same bench.”
The court referred the matter to the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders, ensuring that it is tagged with the broader BCCI case for consistent adjudication.
On December 5, 2023, the Supreme Court had provisionally implemented the proposed recommendations, describing them as “salutary” but left room for stakeholders to present their views before granting final approval.
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