Srinagar: High Court of J&K and Ladakh has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to finalise the Constitution of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) and elect a new body of the Association in consultation with all the stakeholders.
Hearing a batch of petitions relating to the challenge to the decision of the then Ombudsmen, JKCA, as appointed by the court, a bench of Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey and Justice Puneet Gupta said:
“It is made clear that pendency of these writ petitions shall not come in the way of the BCCI to finalize the Constitution of JKCA and for electing a new body in consultation with all the stakeholders as directed in terms of the final order dated 23rd March 2021.”
On 23 March last year in the appeals challenging the Constitution of the JKCA made by the then Committee, the Court had passed certain directions which included a direction to the BCCI to supervise, run the management, control and administration of the JKCA as an interim measure till a new body of the JKCA is elected under its supervision.
The Court had also directed the BCCI to finalize the amendment, if any, in the Constitution of the JKCA, in conformity with the recommendation made by the Lodha Committee as approved by the Supreme Court, consult all the stakeholders, including the parties litigating before this Court i.e. the representatives of the erstwhile clubs of the JKCA as also the District Cricket Associations now formed by the CAA.
Rahul Panth, senior counsel appearing for JKCA when asked, submitted that exercise has been undertaken and the only impediment to completing the same is the dispute amongst the clubs, which is the subject matter of some petitions before the court.
“The decision in these petitions is not related to the already passed judgment/order by this Court on the subject of finalizing the Constitution of JKCA and for electing a new body,” the bench said.
“The Court being conscious of the controversies/disputes had already authorized the BCCI to take on board all the stakeholders including the parties litigating before it i.e. the representatives of the erstwhile clubs of the JKCA as also the District Cricket Associations,” the bench added.
“In the above background, it is made clear that pendency of these writ petitions shall not come in the way of the BCCI to finalize the Constitution of JKCA and for electing a new body in consultation with all the stakeholders as directed in terms of the final order dated 23rd March 2021,” the court said.