Stung by the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandals, the BCCI today cracked the whip by suspending Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra on charges of gambling and unveiled a 12-point 'Operation Clean-up' in a bid to restore the Twenty20 League's credibility.
The BCCI's all-powerful working committee, which gathered for an emergency meeting here, discussed the raging scandal and took the decision to suspend Kundra pending an inquiry.
Kundra thus becomes the second team owner, after N Srinivasan's son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan, to be suspended from cricketing activities.
The Board also decided that the two-member panel -- comprising Justice T Jayaram Chouta and Justice R Balasubramanian -- which is currently investigating Meiyappan and CSK would also probe Kundra and the Rajasthan Royals.
"The Working Committee today decided to suspend Raj Kundra on allegations of gambling on IPL VI matches till the pendency of inquiry," BCCI's interim chief Jagmohan Dalmiya told reporters after the meeting.
"Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar had grilled Kundra for 11 hours and he had admitted to gambling in IPL matches and also IPL CEO Sundar Raman has got a complaint from a closed source. I will not reveal the name of the source," he said.
"Obviously, Rajasthan Royals' role in the whole issue is being looked into but without getting hold of the facts, we don't want to frighten anybody," he added when asked why Rajasthan Royals have not been suspended from the IPL.
Dalmiya was forced to call the meeting after the Delhi Police claimed that Kundra, a minority (11.7 per cent) shareholder in Rajasthan Royals, had confessed to betting during the IPL matches.
If the charges are proved, Rajasthan Royals face the prospect of being terminated from the IPL and to avoid this fate, the franchise has already distanced itself from Kundra.
