Supreme Court Restrains Declaration Of Result For J&K Cricket Association Elections Over Alleged Fraud, Electoral Roll Manipulation By BCCI Sub-Committee

The Supreme Court yesterday restrained declaration of election results for the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), pursuant to allegations of fraud and manipulation of electoral roll levelled against members of Sub-Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria passed the order, while issuing notice on a plea filed by 19 out of 25 Cricket Clubs. The Court said that the elections may be held on the stipulated date, but the results shall not be declared (until further orders).

It may be recalled that on October, 27, 2025, the Supreme Court, in a special leave petition, directed that elections of JKCA be conducted within 12 weeks “in terms of the approved constitution of JKCA”.

Pursuant to this order, the JKCA elections are being supervised by a Court-appointed electoral officer AK Jyoti. They are scheduled to be held on January 16.

During yesterday's hearing, Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora, for petitioners, submitted that the disputes between the clubs were settled in 2017 by an Ombudsman appointed by the High Court, who found some members to be invalid. Thereafter, the BCCI Sub-Committee passed an order that the High-Court appointed Ombudsman was no longer required and elections were to be held based on an electoral roll prepared without including the members found invalid. These members then approached the High Court against the Ombudsman order.

While a host of other events transpired in the interregnum, on November 12, 2025, the BCCI Sub-Committee announced the elections and a day later, on November 13, gave an order "purportedly" passed by the Committee-appointed Ombudsman on March 19, 2025, which referred to the Court's October 27 order. Alleging that the March order did not see the light of day between its date of purported passing and November 13, Meenakshi Arora said that the same was anti-dated. Later, she added, that the March order was sought to be "rectified" by the Ombudsman.

Hearing the submissions, the Court issued notice and restrained declaration of the election results.

The writ petition has been filed seeking the following reliefs:

- Removal of Election Officer AK Jyoti in view of his abdication of duty, lack of independence and failure to protect the sanctity of the Supreme Court's orders and the JKCA Constitution;

- Appointment of a new, independent Electoral Officer of unimpeachable integrity to prepare the electoral rolls and conduct the JKCA elections in terms of the October order;

- Appointment of a retired Judge of the Supreme Court as Administrator of JKCA with full powers to:

(i) Take over charge of the day-to-day administration of JKCA from the existing BCCI Sub-Committee; and

(ii) Supervise, guide and, where necessary, issue binding directions to the newly appointed Electoral Officer".

Appearance: Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora, AoR Soayib Qureshi, Advocates Sheikh Faraz, Chetna Alag and Aman Qayoom Wani (for petitioners)

Case Title: YOUTH CRICKET CLUB AND ORS. Versus JAMMU AND KASHMIR CRICKET ASSOCIATION AND ANR., W.P.(C) No. 17/2026

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