New Delhi: Charging Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of depriving him of his livelihood by slapping a ban for five years on match-fixing charges, Ajay Jadeja has said the decision preventing him from playing his favourite sport spelt 'civil death' for him.

Making an impassioned plea for setting aside the report of BCCI investigator K Madhavan - acting on which the BCCI banned him - Jadeja, in his petition before the arbitrator appointed by Delhi High Court to adjudicate the dispute, said, the ban not only deprived him of livelihood, but severely damaged his reputation and image as well. Alleging that Madhavan had chosen to ignore the evidence of cricketers Ajay Sharma and Mohammed Azharuddin denying statements attributed to them by CBI against Jadeja, the petition by counsel P P Malhotra said the former CBI official had given his own analysis in the report. "Without any basis or reasoning whatsoever, Madhavan states that the players due to media pressure spoke the truth before the CBI and were not speaking the truth before him on legal advice," the petition alleged. Madhavan's reliance on the CBI report showed his loyalty to the agency where he served for over 30 years, it alleged, and sought to know how he had obtained the agency's papers relating to the investigation. The High Court had earlier this month referred the matter to the arbitrator, following a mutual agreement between the parties to settle the issue through arbitration. Quoting media reports that a member of Disciplinary Committee had requested the then BCCI president A C Muthiah to adjourn the meeting as he had not yet studied the report, the petition charged that Muthiah acted in haste and convened the meeting despite a lack of quorum. Muthiah while announcing the ban had said that a right of appeal would be provided to the players, but Jadeja was still to be informed of the procedure and forum of appeal, the petition alleged. Contrary to rules of natural justice, the petitioner was not allowed to have the full text of Madhavan's report, which would have enabled him to defend himself, the former cricketer said adding he could obtain the copy only after he wrote to BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele, a month after the ban. Alleging that Madhavan's appointment was n o permitted by BCCI rules, the petition claimed the same was only to divert public attention from the CBI's preliminary report, which had adverse remarks against the Board. Stating that he had requested CBI to give copies of printouts of a cell phone and telephone bills of the bookies, with whom he allegedly had contacts, the petitioner alleged the investigating agency had not yet responded to the request. Madhavan, it alleged, did not deliberately call or examine any of the alleged bookies, who reportedly deposed against the petitioner and arrived at 'arbitrary' conclusions.
Extras:
BCCI files reply to Jadeja's plea before arbitrator
Arbitrator seeks BCCI reply on Jadeja's petition