The Hindu : National : PIL to recall cricket team rejected

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National

PIL to recall cricket team rejected

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a public interest litigation petition for a direction to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to recall the Indian team from Australia in protest against “racial abuse” against Harbhajan Singh.

Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, heading a three-judge Bench, told the petitioner, Prince Lenin, a Lucknow-based lawyer: We will not pass any order. The match is over now. Do you still want to go ahead with your petition?”

The petitioner told the Bench, which included Justices Tarun Chateerjee and R.V. Raveendran, that the situation could arise again and the players would not get protection from the BCCI as it was “interested only in making money.”

“Personal opinion”

Justice Raveendran asked the petitioner: “Were you personally present there [Sydney]? On newspaper reports you have filed the petition. If they [players] feel unprotected, let them come to us. It’s your personal feeling on the basis of media reports. Some write in favour, while some write against. These are the personal opinions of the correspondents.”

The advocate said the BCCI was not protecting players who were representing the nation.

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