HC rejects BCCI's objection on Jadeja

The Delhi High Court rejected the objection of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that cricketer Ajay Jadeja's petition challenging the five-year ban on him was not maintainable and said that the question could not be decided without hearing arguments on merit.

Delivering his judgement on the preliminary objection by BCCI and Ministry of Sports on maintainability of Jadeja's petition, Justice Mukul Mudgal said the issue would be decided after hearing the parties on merit.

Earlier the BCCI and the Government had challenged Jadeja's petition on the ground that the Board was not a government body and therefore no writ direction could be issued by the court against its action.

The Board had imposed a five-year ban on Jadeja from playing cricket for his alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal and the sports ministry had issued him a notice seeking his reply as to why the Arjuna Award conferred on him should not be taken back.

Jadeja had challenged the action of BCCI and the Government stating that the conclusion about his involvement in match-fixing scandal was drawn on the basis of the CBI report, which had not given any such findings.

The Court fixed the matter for further direction on November 19.

Mail Cricket Editor