Setback for Mohammed Azharuddin as SC declines his plea to run for HCA presidency

The bench pointed out that Azharuddin’s name was struck off the voter’s list because he was disqualified for violation of the norms since he was found to be president of the Deccan Blues Club

The Supreme Court on Monday stamped out former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin’s second shot at the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s (HCA’s) presidency, as it nixed his plea to be added in the voter’s list to be able to file nomination for the upcoming election, scheduled for October 20.

Azharuddin claimed that his disqualification was triggered by a “forged” document. (PTI file photo)

“The problem with sporting bodies is that people want to perpetuate themselves in one way or another. It will be either them or someone from their family members. They don’t want to let it go...You have had three years. Now, let someone else come in,” said a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia.

The bench pointed out that Azharuddin’s name was struck off the voter’s list because he was disqualified for violation of the norms since he was found to be president of the Deccan Blues Club. His name was removed after the Supreme Court-appointed administrator, former top court judge L Nageswara Rao, issued orders last month barring Azharuddin from contesting in the upcoming HCA elections.

The disqualification had followed the July 30 order of the administrator ousting the errant office-bearers of 57 affiliated clubs, including the Deccan Blues Club, from either voting or contesting in the upcoming HCA elections

Assailing the committee’s decision, Azharuddin, through senior counsel Kapil Sibal, claimed that his disqualification was triggered by a “forged” document furnished by the Deccan Blues Club and that he never consented to be the president of the club.

Sibal emphasised that his client has been an international cricketer and a lifetime BCCI member. “This is not fair. You can’t deprive me,” Sibal argued.

But the bench replied: “Let somebody else come in. Today it is a question of upsetting something which we wanted to be carried out. We don’t want to do it at the behest of Mr Azharuddin or anybody else.”

To this, Sibal said that the election schedule will not be upset by allowing him to file his nomination because nominations for the posts of president, vice president, secretary, assistant secretary are to be received from October 11 to 13.

But the bench disagreed: “The voters list has been finalised. You will be adding to it. We are not going to upset the election schedule. We want this election to take place according to the schedule. Your plea will amount to modifying the members list and we won’t do anything like that.”

At this point, Sibal lamented that his client had no idea about his name being there as the president of another club and that his disqualification came as a rude shock. But the bench retorted: “It doesn’t seem that innocent.”

Azharuddin was appointed HCA president in 2019 but his term, which ended with justice Rao’s appointment in February this year, was impacted by rampant infighting within the HCA Apex Council and court cases. HCA office-bearers and members managing or owning multiple clubs affiliated with the Association also emerged as a major issue of contention.

On February 14, the Supreme Court had appointed justice Rao to the single-member committee to supervise the conduct of HCA elections, observing that the impasse on the conduct of polls to HCA should come to an end, and the polls must be held in a fair manner.