With the Lodha panel set to pronounce a quantum of punishment to Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra for their involvement in the IPL 2013 scandal, ESPNcricinfo looks back at the most important events in the matter over the last two years
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2015May 16, 2013
S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila are arrested by the Delhi Police on charges of fraud and cheating, for the alleged fulfillment of promises made to bookies. Eleven bookies are also arrested. The BCCI reacts by suspending the three players. All three players are later released on bail.0:00
Compilation of the controversial overs bowled by Chandila, Sreesanth and Chavan
May 23
The Mumbai Police summons Gurunath Meiyappan, a top official of the Chennai Super Kings franchise and son-in-law of former BCCI president N Srinivasan, for questioning in connection with betting in the IPL. He is arrested on May 24 on charges of cheating, fraud and forgery.May 25
In a press conference, N Srinivasan says the board will treat the case against Gurunath “objectively and fairly”. India Cements, the company that owns Super Kings, distances the franchise from Gurunath, stating he is “neither the owner, nor CEO /Team Principal of Chennai Super Kings.”May 28
The IPL governing council appoints a three-member probe panel, including two former High Court judges, to look into the complaints against India Cements, Gurunath and Jaipur IPL Pvt Ltd, the owners of Rajasthan Royals. Questions about the panel are raised, however, after news emerges that members of the governing council were unaware of when and how the three-man commission was selected for the inquiry.June 6
In another setback for the IPL, Delhi’s police commissioner Neeraj Kumar says that Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra had confessed to betting on IPL matches, including those involving his team. The BCCI then suspends Kundra pending inquiry.July 28
The BCCI’s two-member panel appointed to look into the involvement of the owners of two IPL franchises in the scandal finds “no evidence of any wrongdoing” by Kundra and Gurunath.July 30
Following a PIL by the Cricket Association of Bihar, the Bombay High Court states that the BCCI’s probe panel was constituted illegally, and says there was disparity in the evidence collected by the panel.Aditya Verma, the secretary of the Cricket Association of Bihar, the body that challenged the BCCI’s process of investigating the IPL corruption scandal•The Indian Express
August 30
The Supreme Court of India issues notices to Srinivasan, BCCI, India Cements and Rajasthan Royals on an appeal challenging the Bombay High Court order’s for not appointing a fresh probe panel, after the two-member panel was struck down on the grounds of being constituted illegally.September 13
The BCCI bans Sreesanth and Chavan from playing cricket. The board’s disciplinary committee has not yet taken a decision on Chandila.September 21
Gurunath is named in a betting chargesheet filed by the Mumbai Police on the grounds of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy – including passing on information that compromised the team – in connection with IPL 2013.October 8
The Supreme Court constitutes a three-member probe panel to conduct an independent investigation into the corruption allegations in the IPL. The panel comprises former High Court judge Mukul Mudgal, senior advocate and additional solicitor general L Nageshwar Rao and Assam Cricket Association member Nilay Dutta. The committee is given four months to complete its probeA composite showing Gurunath Meiyappan’s designations within the Super Kings franchise
February 10, 2014
The Mudgal probe panel’s first report finds evidence that Gurunath and Kundra indulged in betting. Gurunath is also charged with passing on information during IPL 2013 and is named as an official of the Chennai Super Kings franchise. The panel also submits to the court a sealed envelope – to be opened and read only by the judges – containing the names of persons allegedly involved in sporting fraud.March 25
The Supreme Court asks then BCCI president N Srinivasan to step down to allow for a fair investigation of the IPL corruption scandal. Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla tells the BCCI counsel: “If there has to be a fair and dispassionate enquiry, Mr. Srinivasan must step down.” Justice AK Patnaik questions Srinivasan’s position, asking “How did he stay on despite all the allegations? His staying on is nauseating for cricket.”Satish Acharya
March 27
The Supreme Court proposes that Sunil Gavaskar replace N Srinivasan as BCCI chief, and recommends that employees of India Cements, of which Srinivasan is managing director and which owns Super Kings, be kept out of the BCCI set-up. Gavaskar takes over as interim BCCI president, in respect of its IPL functions, on March 28.April 22
The Supreme Court asks the Mudgal probe panel to continue its investigation into the IPL corruption scandal, in particular the 13 names mentioned in the sealed envelope submitted to the court in February.7:13
‘Mudgal makes the BCCI uncomfortable’
May 16
The Supreme Court gives the Mudgal panel greater powers – including search and seizure of relevant documents and recording evidence – to investigate the contents of the sealed envelope and the allegations in the IPL 2013 scandal. The court directs the panel to submit a report in August.November 14
The Supreme Court names four individuals – Srinivasan, IPL chief operating officer Sundar Raman, Gurunath and Kundra – in connection with the Mudgal report into the 2013 IPL spot-fixing case, which, the court observes, has suggested several “misdemeanours”.November 17
The Mudgal report finds Srinivasan not guilty of either betting or fixing, or of trying to prevent the investigation into the IPL 2013 corruption scandal. It states, however, that he, along with four other BCCI officials, knew about an IPL player violating the code of conduct, but took no action. The report says that IPL chief operating officer Sundar Raman knew a contact of a bookie and had contacted him eight times in a season, and notes that investigations into Kundra stopped “abruptly and without reason” when the the Rajasthan police was given information about Kundra by the Delhi police.January 22, 2015
The Supreme Court, in a judgment pertaining to the IPL scandal, strikes down a controversial clause in the BCCI’s constitution that allowed board officials to have a commercial interest in the IPL and the Champions League T20. The court also appoints a new three-member panel, headed by former Chief Justice of India, RM Lodha, to decide on the quantum of punishment for Meiyappan and Kundra and for the respective franchises, if necessary. The court declares that the order passed by the Lodha committee “shall be final and binding upon the BCCI and the parties concerned”.