Soni Satti
A Bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shajy P Chaly directed the KCA to respond to the petition which alleges KCA for functioning in a “wholly detrimental manner to the sports of cricket in Kerala”
The petitioners claim that the association is not abiding by the statutory norms laid down by the Supreme Court.
The following issues are raised by the petitioners:
Non-Appointment of CEO
KCA has not appointed a CEO despite knowing that it’s a mandatory step under clause 23 of the KCA
Accounts not audited for the past 4 years – violation of Transparency clause, not just that the KCA has secretly added a new ‘Secrecy Clause’ under clause 44A.
Decisions involving high stakes are being secretly undertaken.
All important decisions relating to contracts are taken without consensus of the apex court by the General body.
There are unqualified members in the Selection committee and the reforms are not being implemented at District level.
Due to such flagrant violations and procedural impropriety the petitioners have urged Kerala HC to direct the KCA to modify its bylaws and to comply with the recommendation of the Lodha Committee.
The petition has been filed by former Ranji trophy players, K Ramdas and PT Godwin, Sreekala S, former Kerala cricket team captain ad founder president of the Veteran Women Cricketers Association, and S Padma, a former Kerala State cricket player and PV Manikantan, a former Deodhar trophy player.
“The Petitioners who have remained uninvolved in the politics behind cricket are now pained at the mismanagement and impact it is having on the game of cricket in Kerala. The Petitioners feel that the reforms brought about in Cricket Administration has been undone to a large extent. The Petitioners are shocked that the mechanisms sought to check the growth of authoritarianism and opacity in functioning under the by law have been thwarted”, the plea states.
