M/s. The Hyderabad Cricket Association Vs. M/s. Charminar Cricket Club & Anr. [SLP (Civil) No. 6779 of 2021]
- ByPravleen Kaur --
- 15 Jun 2025 --
- 0 Comments
The Supreme Court of India, in M/s. The Hyderabad Cricket Association vs. M/s. Charminar Cricket Club & Anr. [SLP (Civil) No. 6779 of 2021], delivered a significant order on January 3, 2025, relating to governance and constitutional reforms within the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).
Facts and Background
The dispute originated from challenges raised by M/s. Budding Star Cricket Club against the appointment of the Ombudsman and Ethics Officer by the Apex Council of the HCA, alleging these appointments violated the Association’s Constitution. The Civil Court initially suspended these appointments during the pendency of the suit. However, the Telangana High Court later reinstated the appointments and dismissed the suit, leading the Hyderabad Cricket Association to file Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had earlier appointed a Single Member Committee, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, to oversee the conduct of fair elections and recommend necessary constitutional amendments for the HCA. These recommendations were provisionally accepted by the Court as salutary but faced objections from various stakeholders, some supporting and others opposing the proposed changes.
Legal Issues
Validity and constitutionality of appointments within the HCA.
Incorporation of the Single Member Committee’s recommendations into the HCA Constitution.
Potential conflict of the HCA’s Constitution and reforms with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Constitution and guidelines.
Whether the matters should be heard in conjunction with a broader case concerning the BCCI’s constitutional reforms.
Supreme Court’s Findings and Directions
The Court observed that some recommendations made by the Single Member Committee might conflict with the BCCI Constitution and the directions issued in a pending Civil Appeal (No. 4235 of 2014) concerning the governance of cricket bodies across India. To avoid conflicting rulings and ensure uniformity, the Supreme Court directed the Registry to place the matter before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders on tagging the present case with the BCCI case.
The Court refrained from delving into the merits of the constitutional amendments or the appointments, emphasizing the need for a coordinated judicial approach given the overlapping legal and governance issues.
Conclusion
The Supreme Court’s order underscores:
The importance of uniform governance standards across cricket associations in India.
The need to harmonize the HCA Constitution with the BCCI Constitution to avoid legal conflicts.
Judicial prudence in consolidating related cases for coherent and consistent adjudication.
The ongoing oversight by the Supreme Court to ensure fair elections and transparent administration within cricket bodies.
This referral to the Chief Justice for tagging with the BCCI case highlights the complexity of cricket governance disputes and the apex court’s role in ensuring orderly resolution aligned with national sports administration policies.
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