Officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India refused to comment on the Calcutta high court's directive to initiate criminal proceedings against six of its top officials for filing false affidavits in the Jagmohan Dalmiya expulsion case, saying their lawyers are handling the issue.
"I don't know what is the exact decision. Just now I am hearing that such a decision is given by the court. So, unless and until I see the papers, consult our lawyers, I will not be able to answer," former BCCI president Sharad Pawar, who is among the six against whom criminal proceedings would be initiated, said on Wednesday evening.
"What we are confident is that we will be able to bring the proper facts before the honourable court", he added.
Asked specifically whether the affidavits were right or wrong, Pawar shot back: "How can I tell you. It's not my affidavit. I don't know what affidavit you are referring to."
Former BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, who also faces criminal proceedings, echoed a similar view.
"We have heard about the development. The BCCI lawyers will handle the issue," he said.
BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said he was not aware of the details and, as such, it would not be proper to comment.
In a significant development, the Calcutta high court directed initiation of criminal proceedings against BCCI president Sashank Manohar, former Board president Sharad Pawar and four top officials for filing false affidavits in the case.
Justice Nadira Pathariya passed the order eight months after Dalmiya, a former BCCI president, moved a case of perjury against Pawar and Board officials and prayed for criminal proceedings against them for allegedly producing false documents in court.
The court passed the ex-parte order and directed the Registrar (Original side) to initiate criminal proceedings under section 195 of CR P C (prosecution for contempt of lawful authority of public servants for offences against public justice and for offences relating to documents given in evidence), at an appropriate court.
Besides Pawar and Shah, the other Board officials implicated are Ratnakar Shetty (Chief Administrative Officer), N Srinivasan
(BCCI secretary) and Chirayu Amin, junior cricket committee chairman.
