NEW DELHI, Sept 27: India’s Supreme Court on Friday cleared the country’s cricket chief N. Srinivasan to seek a third term at this weekend’s election, but barred him from taking charge immediately after the vote.

A cricket association in eastern Bihar state had petitioned the court to stop Srinivasan from contesting the vote for president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) because his son-law-was was charged in a corruption scandal.

“The elections can take place, but he cannot assume charge until the matter is decided,” said a ruling from the Delhi-based court.

Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan is among several officials, players and bookmakers charged with cheating and criminal conspiracy in a spot-fixing scandal that has rocked the Indian Premier League, a Twenty20 tournament run by the BCCI.

Srinivasan had temporarily stepped aside as president in June when he handed interim charge to Jagmohan Dalmiya, a former head of the International Cricket Council.

However he has continued to pull the strings behind the scene and ensured on Wednesday that his bete noire, IPL founder Lalit Modi, was banned for life from the sport.

The 68-year-old, who has headed the BCCI since 2011, is widely expected to be elected unopposed for another year when the elections take place in his home city of Chennai on Sunday.

Srinivasan has distanced himself from his son-in-law, saying he himself has not been blamed or charged in the scandal.

Meiyappan was the team principal of the Chennai Super Kings franchise, which is owned by the India Cements conglomerate run by Srinivasan.—AFP