BCCI secretary and Lok Sabha MP, Anurag Thakur, has now proposed three private member bills, which includes an important ‘National Sports Ethics Commission’ bill recommending “10 years of jail term” for any sportsperson involved in match-fixing.
The BCCI has been mired by the infamous fixing scandal which made the 2013 Indian Premier League a complete satire, witnessing the arrest of three tainted cricketers, including former India pacer S Sreesanth along with Ajit Chandila and Ankit Chavan.
“It is only fair to bring in accountability to be fair to sports lovers. As such there is no law which is there to curb match-fixing. It is absolutely mandatory to have a law that can combat the menace,” Thakur said while questioned what made him propose the bill in Lok Sabha.
The proposed bill, placed in the Lower House, says “to establish a national sports ethics body to ensure ethical practices in sports as well as strive towards the elimination of doping practices, match fixing and fair play, fraud of age, gender and sexual harassment of women in sports.”
The bill further reveals: “This comes as an aftermath of the recent corruption and match-fixing charges that were thrown up in Indian Cricket and other sports by multiple players.
“The concerned players are currently charged under inappropriate sections of Dishonesty and Cheating under Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as Prevention of Corruption Act in the courts but the sportspersons often get easily free because these laws don’t apply to sports.”
If this private member bill by Anurag Thakur passed, it will not only impose a life ban but also 10 years jail sentence as well as a fine of five times the bribe amount in cases of match fixing.
For cases of fraud of age or gender, a jail sentence of 6 months along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh will be viable. Not only sportspersons but coaches, members of sports federations who will assist in those criminal activities would be punished with similar provisions.
The private member bill also looks to create a ‘National Sports Ethics Commission’ which will comprise of judges as well as eminent sports personalities. The commission will have the authority to conduct trials of such cases, frame rules, and by-laws of practices along with the help of sports associations.
The other private member bill is trying to come up with an amendment to the constitution where Anurag has suggested sports to be taken from the State list to Concurrent list to encourage coordinated and more focused approach.