Feature
SC sacks BCCI top brass for defying Lodha panel recommendations
New Delhi: Cracking the whip on a defiant Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for not complying with its orders to implement the R.M. Lodha committee reforms, the Supreme Court on Monday sacked its President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke. A bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that as an interim arrangement, the senior-most Vice President of the BCCI will act as the President and the Joint Secretary will act as the Secretary.
The court asked amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium and eminent lawyer Fali Nariman to suggest the names that will be in the committee to be headed by an administrator to oversee the Board’s functioning. The Court has set January 19 for the next hearing when names of the interim BCCI board will be announced. The court said it will pass a separate order on January 19 for appointing the administrator.
The bench also said that all the office bearers of the BCCI and its affiliate state units, who are in conflict with the recommendation of the Lodha committee, will demit office. In its hearing, the apex court on MOnday asked why the duo of Thakur and Shirke should not be tried for perjury and contempt. “Why shouldn’t prosecution be initiated against him (Thakur)”? The court said the duo hadn’t complied with its July 18, 2016 order and were thus removed.
The apex court also asked the other office bearers of BCCI and state associations to give an undertaking to abide by recommendations of Lodha Committee. Reacting to his removal from the Secretary’s post, Shirke said: “I have nothing to say. My role in BCCI is over. If SC has asked me to leave, that’s fine. I hope the new administration runs BCCI well.” Welcoming the hearing, retired Justice Lodha, who headed the panel for bringing in reforms in the national cricket board said: “The reforms were laid down on July 18, BCCI was bound to follow it but they didn’t. Hence consequences had to follow.”
“This was to happen, and now this has happened. Had submitted three reports before Supreme court, even then it wasnt implemented.” “Once committee’s reforms were accepted by SC in its July 18 order, it had to be implemented, this is logical consequence.” “It’s a victory for the game of cricket. Administrators will come and go and I am sure the game will flourish,” he added.
Former India skipper Bishan Singh Bedi, who has been a constant voice against the BCCI set up, also welcomed the move and said: “I hope Indian cricket will return on the right track. Satisfied with the SC order.” “These are the consequences of not accepting the Lodha committee recommendation” former BCCI Treasurer Kishore Rungta said. Justice Mukul Mudgal, who had simultaneously probed the affairs of the DDCA, also welcomed the hearing saying: “Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke have borne consequences of BCCI not obeying SC orders.”
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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