An investigation into scandals in the Indian Premier League has cleared Indian and world cricket chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan of corruption, the Supreme Court heard on Monday.
“This individual was not involved in match-fixing activities. This individual was not involved in scuttling investigations into match-fixing,” said a report by an investigative panel released to the court.
The panel, which was appointed by the court last year to look into match-fixing and betting scandals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), submitted its findings earlier this month, but they were only made public on Monday.
The panel honed in on Srinivasan and three other top officials including his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, who was the team principal of the Chennai Super Kings franchise.
The finding paves the way for the return of Srinivasan, considered the sport’s most powerful person, to the head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The court had barred Srinivasan from carrying out his duties as BCCI president until it delivered its final verdict, although it did not stop him from heading the International Cricket Council.
The sixth IPL season last year was mired in controversy after police launched legal proceedings against several IPL officials and cricketers, including former Test fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, for illegal betting and spot-fixing.
The IPL, which began in 2008, features the world’s top players signed up for huge fees by companies and high-profile individuals in a glitzy mix of sport and entertainment.
International news organisations including Agence France-Presse have suspended on-field coverage of matches hosted by the BCCI since 2012 after the board imposed restrictions on picture agencies.
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