Maharashtra Cricket Association faces contempt for dodging Lodha panel reforms

With the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) playing hide and seek in accepting the Justice Lodha panel reforms, the Committee of Administrators (COA) has finally asked the Supreme Court to issue directions to initiate contempt proceedings against the state association officials.

DNA had reported on how MCA had no intention of implementing the Lodha reforms and that the affidavit filed in the Apex court was done only for the purpose of disbursement of accessing funds which would not have been otherwise available to the MCA.

"The actions of those who attended the SGM of the MCA held on April 7, 2018 and voted in favour of adopting the 'amended constitution' are a flagrant violation of the the resolution/undertaking filed in this Hon'ble Court vide affidavit dated December 29, 2017 and ought to be regarded as contempt," COA has stated in its 8th status report filed on April 27.

Not stopping there, the COA has also urged the court to appoint administrators for MCA to ensure that its constitution is brought in terms with the Justice Lodha reforms accepted by the SC on July 18, 2016.

It was only after MCA secretary Riyaz Bagwan sent circulars to all district units regarding the upcoming May 2 elections as per the newly-amended constitution that the COA legal team found out "a lot of anomalies". It thus threatened to declare the elections, if held, to be null and void.