SC sets aside BCCI order, lifts life-ban on Sreesanth

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) disciplinary committee's order imposing a lifetime ban on pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth for his alleged involvement in 2013 IPL spot-fixing case and asked the cricket board panel to reconsider the quantum of punishment.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and also comprising Justice KM Jospeh passed the order on Sreesanth's appeal and cancelled the life-ban on the cricketer.

The top court asked the BCCI to consider afresh the quantum of punishment to Sreesanth for his involvement in the spot-fixing case.

In October 2017, the Kerala High Court had reimposed the life-term ban on the bowler after a petition was filed by the BCCI against its single bench order to revoke the ban. He was arrested along with teammates Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila by Delhi Police for the alleged involvement in the spot-fixing controversy in May 2013 when they were playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL. After this incident, the BCCI had banned all of them for life.

In 2015, Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan were cleared of the charges after a Delhi trial court found that there was no prima facie evidence to prove that the cricketers had been involved in any wrongdoing. Sufficient evidence under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was also not found.(UNI)