Sport - Cricket

Only three in Teller Committee: HC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday said that the Teller Committee appointed by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) should consist of only three persons, one of whom will be a nominee of the applicants in a suit against the association.

Passing orders on applications in a suit filed by Shanti Kumbhat of Kilpauk and K.L. Balajee praying for appointing a retired Supreme Court or High Court Judge as Election Officer to ensure a free and fair election to the association scheduled for June 29, Justice V. Ramasubramanian said the TNCA should ensure that notices requesting members not to carry mobile phones or cameras inside the polling booths should be displayed at prominent places.

Also, apart from voters, no one else should be allowed inside the polling booths till the polling process was completed, other than private security personnel posted at the booth entrance or exit.

(Three or more members of the association are appointed as Tellers at the annual general meeting by the meeting Chairman for taking charge of the ballot boxes, scrutinising the voting papers and ascertaining the results.)

The court posted the applications for reporting on June 30.

In the affidavit, Shanti Kumbhat and K.L. Balajee said they were cricketers and cricket administrators and were contesting for the posts of honorary secretary and joint secretary respectively. They said the TNCA was “no longer an independent body.”

In the counter, the TNCA honorary secretary, K.S. Viswanathan, said there was no legitimate basis for a presumption that the election would not be free, fair and unbiased.

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