SC expresses displeasure over public spat between Diana Edulji and Vinod Rai

The Supreme Court Thursday expressed displeasure over "pubic sparring" between Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai and its member Diana Edulji over certain issues concerning Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and told them not to go public over their differences. A bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and A M Sapre also said that they will appoint three more members to the CoA and the orders to this effect would be passed in chambers.

CoA had four members but after the resignation of historian Ramchandra Guha and banker Bikram Limaye only two members are now left in CoA. "We have heard in newspaper reports that some sparring is going on between CoA members...tell them not to go public with their differences," the bench said, adding that it was partly aware of the issues concerning BCCI.

The two-member CoA has been divided on several matters including the recent controversy involving cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul. Pandya and Rahul had attracted widespread criticism for their misogynistic comments on TV Show 'Koffee with Karan'.

On January 17, the CoA had told the apex court that an ombudsman be appointed for the Indian cricket board to decide the quantum of punishment for Rahul and Pandya. Rai had reportedly recommended a two-match ban on Pandya and Rahul, but Edulji had taken the matter to the BCCI legal cell which refused to call the players' actions a violation of the code of conduct and recommended the appointment of an ombudsman. The top court Thursday appointed retired apex court judge Justice D K Jain as BCCI's first ombudsman.

(With inputs from agencies.)