Muthiah, Madhavan file counter-affidavits

Board of Control for Cricket in India president A C Muthiah and vigilance commissioner K Madhavan filed their counter-affidavits in a Hyderabad court on Monday, opposing former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin's challenge on the life ban imposed on him in the match-fixing scandal.

Judge J Shyama Sundra Rao of the Second Sessions Civil Court posted the hearing on the case for March 7, as Azhar's counsel said the cricketer needs time to go through the counter-affidavit.

Muthiah's counsel K Suryanarayana, who filed the nine-page counter-affidavit, said a "point-by-point reply" has been given to Azhar's petition.

''Azhar has, in his petition, invoked inherent judicial power under section 151 of CrPC. But he does not have the right to seek such a thing,'' he said.

Sanjay Joshi, counsel for Madhavan, in his six-page document, said the BCCI special commissioner's ''role'' in imposing the ban on Azhar was ''limited'' as he was appointed by the BCCI only to conduct an inquiry in the match-fixing issue.

''In fact, Azhar had thanked him [Madhavan] for conducting the inquiry [in Hyderabad] on a letter dated November 16,'' he said.

It was on January 29 that Azhar filed a 17-page suit in the court, challenging the BCCI December 5 decision to ban him for life. The cricketer had claimed that Muthiah was ''incompetent'' to hold office as he had not played first-class cricket.

Azhar had also challenged the appointment of Madhavan, a former Central Bureau of Investigation joint director, as the BCCI inquiry officer, claiming it was against the board's constitution.

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UNI

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