The fight between the officials of Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Committee of Administrators cum the professional officials working in the BCCI took a turn for the worse today. Gopal Subramanium, amicus curie in the BCCI matter in Supreme Court dropped a bombshell in court when he claimed that Anirudh Chaudhry, treasurer of the board, had threatened to liquidate Santosh Rangnekar, Chief Financial Officer.
In his complaint, Rangnekar, who has previously worked in top corporates before joining the BCCI, gave a detailed account of when and where he was spoken to by Chaudhry in person. He has reportedly cited three incidents between January and November when the treasurer took him aside after meetings and on one occasion had even allegedly said, “khatam kar doonga” (I will finish you).
The matter was actually related to the draft constitution as per Lodha committee reforms and subsequent SC orders filed by the Committee of Administrators in the court. However, in what was a surprising turn of events, Subramanium rose to share the written complaint filed by the CFO to Vinod Rai, Chairman of the CoA. Rai, in turn, directed the lawyers to share this with the apex court.
“I have received a letter from the solicitor of CoA. It is shocking, no person has any authority in the world, no matter what his lineage is, to administer threats to liquidate the CFO. The treasurer has allegedly done so.”
Chaudhry's lawyer then rose in the court to object to these allegations. “These are altogether incorrect,” he told the court.
The special bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud who were hearing the case directed Chaudhry to file a response on the same in two weeks' time.
BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, CFO Rangnekar were also present in court.
Speaking to the media outside the court Chaudhry expressed shock and said, “I am shocked at the blatant lie. I only expressed my views (to the CFO) on some financial transactions which probably were not palatable to them.”
Rangnekar, meanwhile, did not speak to the media about his complaint.
