The Supreme Court lifted the nearly decade-old ban on BJP MP Anurag Thakur from holding office in the BCCI, allowing him to resume participation in cricket administration. The decision underscores the Court’s application of proportionality and clarifies that the 2017 restriction was never intended as a lifetime prohibition.
Thakur had been barred from BCCI roles under paragraph 25(ii) of the Supreme Court’s 2017 order, which removed him as President and Secretary Ajay Shirke for non-compliance with Lodha Committee reforms. Represented by Sr. Advocate PS Patwalia, Thakur argued that continuing the ban for nine years caused undue hardship. The Lodha Committee’s Secretary, through Sr. Advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, opposed lifting the restriction, citing ongoing reform concerns.
The Bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that Thakur had tendered an unconditional apology and emphasized that the original direction “was not intended to be life long.” Applying the principle of proportionality, the Court recalled the 2017 restriction, permitting Thakur to engage fully in BCCI activities in accordance with its rules.
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