BCCI Ethics Officer Alleges Rupa Gurunath For Being In Conflict Of Interest Situation

Rupa Gurunath has received a complaint as she finds herself in a spot of bother in a conflict of interest situation. The friction emerged as Rupa Gurunath, President of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and daughter of N. Srinivasan, holds positions in TNCA and India Cements Ltd (ICL). Based on a complaint by Sanjiv Gupta, Justice DK Jain pointed it out.

Based on the complaint received on the 23rd of November 2020, the BCCI Ethics Officer has accused Rupa Gurunath of occupying more than one post at the same time. Hence, it goes against the rules and violates the guidelines of the BCCI as she must leave one of the posts. But when contacted Rupa about the same, she did not comment.

On Thursday, the Ethics Officer passed a 13-page verdict, stating that the BCCI take the requisite steps according to the law. “Having arrived at the aforesaid conclusion, the BCCI shall take requisite steps, in accordance with the law, to ensure due compliance of Rule 38 (2) Rules in the Case of Respondent,”

The order does not say that Rupa Gurunath has benefited from her position personally: P Raghu Raman

But P Raghu Raman, representing her case, remarked that she will continue to hold the position at the TNCA as she did not benefit from it personally or has been advantageous to India Cements. Raman also said that since India Cements is one of the sponsors of CSK, it is an indirect conflict and that Gurunath merely has to disclose all the positions she occupies.

“The order does not say that Rupa has benefited from her position personally, nor has there been any benefit to India Cements. It is a case of perception of conflict because there are certain directors who are also directors of some of the subsidiary of India Cements. There is also a case of perception because India Cements is also one of the sponsors of CSK. It is defined in the rules that the perception can cause indirect conflict.

Because it is an indirect conflict, the Ethics Officer has said that the BCCI should ensure compliance of Rule 38 (2), which deals with disclosure. She has to disclose what are the positions she is holding, and how the indirect conflict has been found by the judge, and send it to the BCCI. The Board has to put it in the website. Then it will be decided if it is a tractable or intractable conflict,” Raman said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

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