IPL: CSK, Rajasthan Royals suspended for two years

New Delhi: Indian Premier League (IPL) teams Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) were on Tuesday banned for two years by the Supreme Court appointed Justice Lodha Committee in the 2013 IPL betting and spot fixing scandal.

Former CSK team official Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra were suspended for life from any cricketing activity undertaken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The guilty duo were also suspended from any cricket related activity for a period of five years. They were earlier found guilty of betting in the scandal that rocked the lucrative Twenty20 tournament in 2013.

The verdict, read out by Justice Lodha in the presence of the other committee members, said that the cricketers who were part of the two IPL teams were free to join any IPL team they wanted.

The Supreme Court on January 22 had set up the committee comprising former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, former Justice Ashok Bhan and former Justice R. Raveendran to determine appropriate punishments for Meiyappan, Kundra and their respective franchises.

In March, the panel had also issued showcause notices to Meiyappan and Kundra seeking their reply on the quantum of punishment.

Meiyappan is the son-in-law of former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and current International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman N. Srinivasan. Kundra is a businessman who is married to Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

Lodha also said the fate of IPL COO Sundar Raman, who is also alleged to have involved in wrongdoing, is yet to be ascertained as the investigation regarding him is still going on.

Lodha said the committee, which was supposed to form a guideline for the smooth administration of BCCI, will formulate such a guideline in "due course of time".

(IANS)