In the absence of an election petition, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Board of Control for Cricket in India to reconvene its annual general meeting and complete the rest of the formalities so that the new management can take over.

Ranbir Singh Mahendra was elected BCCI president in the incomplete AGM held in September 2004. He had defeated Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar by a vote.

"The interim order passed by this court, however, will remain in force," Justice Santosh Hegde and Justice S P Sinha said in their 150-page order.

In its interim order on October 11, 2004, the SC had stayed Justice S Mohan's appointment as the chief administrator of the BCCI and restrained former president Jagmohan Dalmiya from functioning as the board's patron-in-chief.

Justice Mohan, a retired judge of the SC, had been appointed by the Madras high court on a petition filed by D C Agashe of the Maharastra Cricket Association and Netaji Cricket Club, which had challenged Dalmiya's appointment as patron-in-chief in a local order.

The local court had directed that Dalmiya would not oversee the conduct of the new office-bearers and would not function as the patron-in-chief. The BCCI had moved the SC against the HC order.

The SC also directed that the matter be referred back to the HC for final disposal. "Anyone seeking to challenge the election of the new office-bearers will come through proper forum," the order said.

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