The role of Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the alleged cover-up to protect BCCI chief N Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan came under the scanner of the Supreme Court on Thursday. Dhoni is a vice-president at Srinivasan’s firm, India Cements, and also captain of IPL team Chennai Super Kings, owned by India Cements.
Harish Salve, counsel for the Cricket Association of Bihar, told the court how Dhoni lied to the Mudgal Committee that Meiyappan was not a CSK official, but only a ?cricket enthusiast? supporting the team.
While indicting Meiyappan for betting and passing on information of the game, the panel had trashed statements made to it by Srinivasan and Dhoni that he had nothing to do with the cricketing affairs of CSK. Salve said Dhoni testified to the panel as he was a vice-president at India Cements. ?This runs very deep. I am very sorry to say this, but the BCCI Indian captain is also guilty of corrupt practices. Why did he choose to mislead the panel? Cover-up falls within the ambit of corruption under the BCCI rules. So, the skipper has left himself open to such scrutiny,? Salve said.
The court asked Salve if it was on record that Dhoni was a vice-president at India Cements. The lawyer read out from a FIR registered in connection with betting and spot-fixing in a match between CSK and Rajasthan Royals in which the Jaipur Police described Dhoni as a vice-president at India Cements.
Salve demanded a CBI probe, alleging serious conflict of interest by Dhoni and others.
