BENGALURU: In a blow to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) administration, the BCCI ombudsman has disqualified secretary Santosh Menon on the grounds that he had completed a cumulative tenure of nine years.Based on a complaint filed by Dolphin Cricketers, an institutional member of KSCA, the ombudsman said that Menon, after completing the nine-year term, cannot continue, and the post has been declared vacant.Justice Arun Mishra (rtd), the ombudsman, in an order dated June 24, declared that Menon’s tenure ended on December 16, 2025, nine days after he assumed charge after the December 7 elections.“Rules under the cooling off provision. The respondent no. 3 [Menon] completed a cumulative term of 9 years as a member of the Management Committee and as a trustee; is disqualified u/s 6B(3)(g),” the ombudsman said in his order.Menon had served nine years in the office, including his term as managing committee member, and the order pointed out that the term served as MC member cannot be excluded from the nine-year term.“The provisions of 6A and 6 (B) (2) (e) do not come to the rescue in case a person holds different posts, then the period for all posts should be aggregated under Rule 6 (B) (2) (g) of the KSCA Rules. The same is provided in Rule 3 (b) (i) of the BCCI constitution, which cannot be more than ‘posts’ 9 years.”“The office bearer is also a member of the Management Committee or the Apex Council. As such, it is apparent that his mandate must be combined to maintain the position of the Managing Committee as an ‘office bearer’ or as a ‘member of the Management Committee’, otherwise the entire purpose of the nine-year cap each for BCCI and the State association will be diluted,” said the order.Justice Mishra also observed that Rule 41 of the KSCA constitution relating to the tenure of the officer does not constitute an embargo in the present dispute.The Ombudsman therefore directed the BCCI and KSCA to take further appropriate steps.Reacting to the order, KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad said in a statement that the association would seek a legal appeal.“We have taken note of the order passed by the BCCI ombudsman and are currently examining it in detail. Appropriate legal counsel is being sought to assess all remedies and options available under the law,” Prasad said.He also pointed to an earlier order of the KSCA ombudsman, which had found Menon eligible.“This is particularly so since the order of 05 February 2026 passed by the Ombudsman of the KSCA, Justice (Retd.) AS Bopanna, which is mandatory for all members in the Statute of the KSCA, but unfortunately the Ombudsman BCCI has taken a contrary view on the issue. The legal effect and interaction are currently added to the two orders.”