ICC Chairmanship: Only NZ's Gregor Barclay and Singapore's Imran Khwaja file nominations
New Delhi: New Zealand Cricket's Gregor Barclay and Imran Khwaja of Singapore are the only two prominent names who will be fighting for the ICC chairman's post to replace Shahshank Manohar.
October 18 was the last day for filing nominations and a one-month window has been kept by the ICC Board to see if it can have an unanimous candidate.
"As of now, it looks like there will be an election between Barclay and Khwaja, who is ICC's acting chairman. They are the only two who have filed nominations. Both have their share of support in board," a senior official, privy to developments in ICC Board, told PTI on Monday.
In a 17-member ICC board, 16 can cast their vote (17th member is CEO Manu Sawhney without voting rights) and as per the existing rules, either Barclay or Khwaja would need 11 votes (2/3rd of board) to become the next chairman.
In case Cricket South Africa (CSA) gets suspended by the ICC over government interference, then the number of voters will come down to 15.
However, in case Barclay fails to get 11 votes, Khwaja can still continue as the acting chairman of the ICC. A lot of major Test-playing nations are expected to rally behind Barclay.
While Colin Graves, the former England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman was the favourite to become the next ICC chief, it was learnt that he didn't file his nomination after it became certain that neither he is an unanimous choice nor does he have the numbers to win an election.
There is a buzz that the BCCI will lend support to Barclay against Khwaja, who is known to be close to a former ICC head, who will actively take interest in the election if it happens.
"Khwaja has some backing from at least two former ICC heads -- one who is also among the current Board of Directors and another who is still believed to have control of at least five votes," the senior official said.
The time in the interim will be used for hectic lobbying and in ensuring that one of the two (ideally Khwaja) pulls out, leading to an unanimous candidate.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi: Couple with four daughters bought kidnapped male infant; five held, child rescued
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested five people, including a woman who had been absconding for seven months, for allegedly kidnapping and trafficking a toddler from Delhi's Seelampur metro station, an official said on Saturday.
The 1.5-month-old child was kidnapped in June and has been recovered safely and reunited with his mother. Police said the couple who bought the infant -- 40-year-old Dheer Singh and his wife Baneeta -- did so because they have four daughters and wanted a male child. Both have been arrested.
According to police, the main accused, Devaki (22), who had been frequently changing her hideouts for months, was finally traced to a rented accommodation in the Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh. She had allegedly kidnapped the newborn from the metro station on June 4 and later sold him for Rs 1.5 lakh in Delhi's Arya Nagar.
A case under Section 137(2) (kidnapping) of the BNS was registered at the Shastri Park Metro police station, but initial attempts to locate the infant, and the accused yielded no breakthrough. The investigation was subsequently transferred to the Anti-Theft Squad of the Metro Unit.
Technical and manual intelligence indicated Devaki's movement in Mahoba. A police team raided her hideout and arrested her, securing three days' police custody, a senior police officer said.
During interrogation, Devaki identified the others involved in the kidnapping and sale. Police said she had abducted the infant at the behest of Manju Devi (44), an Anganwadi helper in Gandhi Nagar, while the transaction was mediated by Sheela (35), a domestic worker.
Following Devaki's disclosure, the police recovered the child from the possession of Baneeta. Her husband, Dheer Singh, a private contractor, was also arrested. Both confessed to purchasing the boy as they longed for a son, officers said.
All four co-accused -- Manju, Sheela, Dheer, and Baneeta -- were arrested under the relevant sections of the BNS and the Juvenile Justice Act and were subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
The rescued child was produced before the Child Welfare Committee, which ordered that he be restored to his mother after due formalities.
Police said none of the accused has a previous criminal record. Further investigation is underway.
