Supreme Court of India
M/S The Hyderabad Cricket Association vs M/S Charminar Cricket Club on 3 January, 2025
Author: Vikram Nath
Bench: Vikram Nath
2025 INSC 23
NON-REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
SLP (CIVIL) NO. 6779 OF 2021
M/S THE HYDERABAD
CRICKET ASSOCIATION …PETITIONER(S)
VERSUS
M/S CHARMINAR
CRICKET CLUB & ANR. …RESPONDENT(S)
WITH
SLP(C) No. 6819 OF 2021
AND
SLP(C) No. 16526 OF 2021
AND
SLP(C) No. 16628 OF 2021
ORDER
VIKRAM NATH, J.
1. The special leave petitions were filed assailing the
correctness of the judgment and order dated 06.04.2021
passed by the High Court for the State of Telangana at
Signature Not Verified
Digitally signed by
NEETU KHAJURIA
Hyderabad in Civil Revision Petition No117 of 2021.
Date: 2025.01.03
17:22:40 IST
Reason:
SLP (CIVIL) NO. 6779 OF 2021 ETC. 1
2. The facts giving rise to the present petitions are as
follows:
2.1. Respondent No.2 M/s Budding Star Cricket Club
instituted a suit before the Civil Court registered as
PSROP No.17 of 2020 seeking a declaration that the
appointmet of the Ombudsman and the Ethics
Officer by the Apex Council was not in accordance
with the Constitution of the Hyderabad Cricket
Association.
2.2. In the said suit, I.A. No. 674 of 2020 was preferred,
in which the Civil Court, while allowing the
application, passed an order for suspension of the
decision of the Apex Council appointing the
Ombudsman cum Ethics Officer during the
pendency of the said suit, till its disposal.
2.3. The said order was challenged by way of Civil
Revision Petition No.117 of 2021 before the High
Court. The High Court by the impugned order dated
06.04.2021 allowed the Revision, set aside the order
of suspension of the appointment of Ombudsman
cum Ethics Officer and I.A. No. 674 of 2020 was
dismissed with cost of Rs.25,000/-. Further, the
High Court dismissed the suit itself by the impugnedSLP (CIVIL) NO. 6779 OF 2021 ETC. 2
order. Assailing the correctness of the same, the
present Special Leave Petitions were filed.
2.4. During the pendency of these petitions, various
orders were passed and with passsage of time, the
scope of these petitions has been widely enlarged.
By an order dated 22.08.2022, this Court appointed
a Supervisory Committee under the Chairmanship
of retired Chief Justice of High Court of Andhra
Pradesh along with three members which included
an IPS Officer being Director General, Anti-
Corruption Bureau, Telangana State and Ex-Indian
Cricketer and Director of Hyderabad Cricket
Academy of Excellence.
2.5. Later on, by an order dated 14.02.2023, this Court
directed that the Supervisory Committee will not
survive considering the fact that fair and proper
elections of the executive body of the Hyderabad
Cricket Association were essential. A retired Judge
of this Court was appointed as a Single Member
Committee to conduct the elections. The elections
were held under the supervision of the Single
Member Committee. Further the Single Member
Committee made certain recommendations to be
incorporated in the Constitution of the Hyderabad
SLP (CIVIL) NO. 6779 OF 2021 ETC. 3
Cricket Association. When the said report of the
Single Member Committee was placed before this
Court, a large number of objections were filed by
different parties, some of them supporting the
recommendations and others objecting to the same
on various grounds.
2.6. This Court further passed an order dated
05.12.2023 and prima facie found that the
recommendations made by the Single Member
Committee were salutory recommendations.
However, this Court observed that it would not like
to shut out the parties from having their say.
Further, as an interim measure, it was directed that
the recommendations in the meantime will come
into force and be implemented. Thereafter, the
matters have been taken up on a number of
occasions and arguments were heard on several
dates.
3. On 05.12.2024 when the matters were taken up, Mr.
Avishkar Singhvi, learned counsel appearing for the
elected office bearers informed this Court that Civil
Appeal No.4235 of 2014 is pending consideration before
another Bench of this Court, where some of the issues
involved in the present cases are also being considered.
SLP (CIVIL) NO. 6779 OF 2021 ETC. 4
Further, the said Civil Appeal is dealing with a broader
issue relating to the Constitution of Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) and there is a direction passed
therein, based on the guidelines and Constitution
approved by this Court, that all States Cricket
Associations would have their Constitution in line with
the Constitution of the BCCI. It was also submitted by
Mr. Singhvi that some of the recommendations made by
the Single Member Committee would be in conflict with
the Constitution of BCCI and therefore, if the Hyderabad
Cricket Association adopts the same, there would be a
direct conflict with the directions issued in the said
appeal. He thus submitted that the present matters may
also be heard with Civil Appeal No. 4235 of 2014 so that
there are no conflicting views and orders. Further the
Regulations, Constitutions, Guidelines of BCCI and that
of the State Cricket Associations are in confirmity with
each other and as per the judgment and directions of this
Court passed in Civil Appeal No. 4235 of 2014. Some of
the counsels appearing for the intervenors have
supported the submissions made by Mr. Singhvi.
Whereas others have opposed and have submitted that
this Court may proceed with these matters and there is
SLP (CIVIL) NO. 6779 OF 2021 ETC. 5
nothing which may come in conflict with the judgment
and directions passed in Civil Appeal No. 4235 of 2014.
4. Having given our anxious consideration and without
going into the merits of the matters, once the issue is
raised that the recommendations made by the Single
Member Committee which are to be approved/
disapproved in the present case, may be in conflict or not
in consonance with the Constitution, Regulations and
Guidelines of the BCCI, it would only be appropriate that
these matters may be tagged with Civil Appeal No.4235 of
2014 and heard by the same bench.
5. We accordingly direct the Registry to place the papers
before Hon’ble Chief Justice of India for passing
appropriate orders.
…………………………………J.
[VIKRAM NATH]
…………………………………..J.
[SATISH CHANDRA SHARMA]
NEW DELHI;
JANUARY 03, 2025.
SLP (CIVIL) NO. 6779 OF 2021 ETC. 6