Chennai: The Madras High Court today rejected a plea by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy for an early hearing of his PIL challenging the suspension of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajathan Royals from IPL and made it clear that it will come up on December 14 and 15, which was scheduled earlier.
Swamy appeared before the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and sought urgent hearing of his plea. “Today, tomorrow or at least next week,” he pleaded and said he would take only five minutes to wind up his arguments if allowed on Tuesday itself.
The judges made it clear that on December 14 and 15 they would not give any more time or adjournments on any ground. Before the scheduled hearing date, procedural formalities such as filing of counter-affidavit by BCCI, rejoinders by others, if needed, and serving of copies on each other should all be completed, the judge said.
Earlier the bench had rejected pleas by the counsel for CSK Private Limited seeking early hearing of the PILs, ahead of the scheduled December 14 and 15. In his petition Swamy had submitted that the suspension of the “most popular and most successful” of all IPL teams was unfair.
“Sections of media and vested interests joined hands and knocked out CSK from competing against its inferior rivals and to settle private scores. Various persons have been assisting Lalit Modi (former IPL boss) to bring about the suspension of two cricket teams - the CSK and the RR- and the downfall of N Srinivasan through false media propaganda,” he had said in his petition.
Stating that the petition was filed in the interest of public and for the cause of cricket, Swamy had sought an interim stay order of Justice R.M.Lodha Committee banning CSK and Rajasthan Royals from IPL.
