Supreme Court gives Delhi HC time till July end to give S Sreesanth’s verdict
Delhi High Court has been given a deadline by the Supreme Court to give its verdict concerning the trial court’s order that discharged 36 cricketers related to the IPL spot-fixing case. S Sreesanth, along with Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, who were arrested in 2013, was among them.
After Sreesanth, along with 35 others, was arrested by Delhi police in 2013 following his involvement in the IPL spot-fixing case, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had imposed a life ban on the Kerala pacer. However, they were all let-off by a Patiala House court in July 2015, which Delhi Police had later challenged in the Delhi High Court.
The 34-year-old has now consequently asked for an interim direction, which would allow him to at least play county cricket in England. The BCCI has been steadfast in their decision throughout the entire process, stating that it was an “open and shut” case after the player was caught in telephonic conversations, where he had allegedly taken money to delivery ‘no balls’ during an IPL match.
Hence, after a single-judge bench of Kerala HC in August last year had lifted the life ban setting aside all proceedings against Sreesanth that was initiated by the cricket board, the BCCI was quick to file a petition against the single-judge bench’s order, which led the division bench of the high court to restore the ban.
Sreesanth has filed an appeal in the apex court, where he has challenged the Kerala HC’s decision to uphold the ban on him. Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in a bench headed by him, has stated that he understood the player’s “anxiety” to play but is willing to wait for the HC’s decision on the appeal made by Delhi Police challenging the trial court order.
However, now with the Supreme Court ordering the High court to come up with a verdict as fast as the July end, Sreesanth would be hoping to get back to the field albeit not in national colors.