Ravi Sawani, the chief of BCCI’s anti-corruption unit (ACU) has resigned from his position citing personal reasons. He is likely to be succeeded by Neeraj Kumar, the former Delhi commissioner of police, who was recently roped in as an advisor to the Indian board’s ACU. Sawani’s tenure is likely to end in June.
Sawani’s decision hasn’t surprised the BCCI administration as it is understood he had indicated his desire to quit soon after the board appointed Kumar in April. The former ICC ACSU chief was then informally asked to stay on until the end of IPL 2015.
Sawani was considered by many within the BCCI as a trusted aide of N Srinivasan, the former BCCI president whose son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested and charge-sheeted in the IPL 2013 corruption scandal. However, a BCCI official denied that the change in power equations in the BCCI – with Srinivasan losing his control over the board following the elections in March – has had anything to do with Sawani’s resignation.
The BCCI hierarchy acknowledged Sawani’s efforts for having set up the ACU after being appointed in 2012. With Kumar’s vast knowledge and experience of dealing with cricket corruption-related cases, the BCCI hopes that he can implement measures to curb fixing-related offences in India.
