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As it happened: Uncorking the world of sports, sleaze and shame

Friday, May 17, 2013, 11:55 IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA Web Team

S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila have been arrested by the Delhi police on Thursday in IPL spot-fixing allegation that has probably busted a huge underworld sleaze scam and may have managed to fool a billion people who love the sport.



A special cell of the Delhi police arrested S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila in a post-midnight operation in Mumbai on Thursday, for indulging in spot-fixing in at least three IPL matches as per arrangements with bookies who have underworld connections abroad.
What followed was an uproar from the cricketing industry, the IPL team owners and two billion fans.

We give you live developments on this big story:

* Delhi police commissioner gives a go ahead to widen the fixing probe.

* Rahul Dravid, Shilpa Shetty called in for questioning.
Police to question the team management too.

* KKR co-owner Juhi Chawla says she is shocked by IPL fixing scandal.

* Sreesanth confesses to fixing, says he made a mistake. "I have not been framed," he told the interrogators.

* Ankeet Chavan gives names of 2 more players who were contacted by bookies. Names yet to be revealed.

* It is a case of cheating the public. No player involvement as of now, says CB-CID on betting racket in Chennai.

* Tamil Nadu Police rules out match fixing angle in Chennai. "As of now it is betting" on IPL matches with links to operators in Delhi.

* 6 bookies arrested from Tamil Nadu. Rs 14 lakh recovered.

* Tamil Nadu police to reveal names of more bookies.

* Transcripts prove to be evidence that Ajit Chandila was involved in spot-fixing in previous IPL also.

* Sreesanth will again be confronted with tapes and audio recordings.

* Amit Singh, a Rajasthan Royals player who was arrested as one of the bookies, suspended by BCCI.

* Ajit Chandila is a hard nut to crack, interrogations still on, says Delhi police.

* Sreesanth has been kept in a separate cell.

* An emergency meeting of the BCCI will be held on May 19 in Chennai.
* Ankeet Chavan's brother claims that he is innocent and is being framed. He pleads to Mumbaikars to support his brother and asserts that he is a good cricketer.

* Sreesanth's lawyer to the media: Sreesanth claims that he is innocent and that he did not interact with the bookies. He blames Jiju for the incident.

* "I congratulate the Delhi Police for such good work," says Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

* Players are also alleged to have sold team secrets that are only to be kept amongst the team members.

* Sreesanth and 13 others sent to police custody for five days.

* Sunil Dubai, key-link between bookies and D-gang: TV reports

* Sreesanth's lawyer rubbishes reports on escorts and says that he spoke to Sreesanth and he said that he is not at fault.

* Ankeet Chavan confesses to the police during interrogation that he has made a mistake and that he has done wrong.

* Tamil Nadu Police conducting searches in several places in Chennai in connection with alleged IPL fixing and betting.

* While Ankeet Chavan’s parents refuse to talk to the media, his elder brother, Nihar Chavan, an airline cabin crew member, says the spinner had no reason to indulge in corrupt activities.

* One of the 11 bookies arrested so far in the latest IPL spot-fixing scandal is named Amit Singh - a former Rajasthan Royals player who was released by the franchise as latest as last year.

* The transcript of the taped conversations between the players and the bookies revealed that the bookies used to arrange women for those players involved in spot-fixing. It was learnt that two bookies, Manan and Chand, "arranged" women for Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila on at least three occasions. It was also reported that when S Sreesanth was arrested from a Mumbai hotel, he was found along with a girl in his hotel room.

* It could be curtains as far as Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila’s cricket career is concerned as the BCCI is set to impose a life-ban on the players.

* He had reportedly roped in Chandila and Chavan in the fixing. Police said the money trail was routed through Dubai and about 30 calls were routed through Pakistan.

* Police said Sreesanth communicated with bookies through What'sapp and Blackberry Messenger and was not in direct touch with them over phone.

* Sreesanth alleged to have links with D-company. Chandila was sent by Sreesanth to Sahara Mall in Gurgaon to meet the bookies who operated in Gujarat, as the front runners for D company. The meeting lasted about 45 ,minutes. Cops claim they have evidence of it.

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By IBTimes Staff Reporter May 18, 2013 8:12 PM IST

IPL Spot-Fixing: Arrest of 3 Cricketers Just the Tip of the Iceberg?

The arrested of three Rajasthan Royals players and a dozen of bookies in connection with spot-fixing scam in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have shaken up cricketing extravaganza but it could be just the tip of the iceberg, as more names are expected to pop up through the investigation.




Rajasthan Royals player S.Sreesanth during match 55 of of the Pepsi Indian Premier League between The Kings XI Punjab and the Rajasthan Royals held at the PCA Stadium, Mohal, India on the 9th May 2013



The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested three bowlers - S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - of RR in Mumbai, over charges of spot-fixing in the ongoing IPL matches. They were later produced before the Saket Court and placed in custody for five days. Police have also detained a dozen of bookies.


It seems the police have gathered more information on the betting network during the interrogation of the arrested cricketers and bookies. They said that the Rajasthan Royals players have confessed to spot-fixing during the interrogation while their lawyers and family members denied.

With the police saying that they can't rule out spot-fixing involving other IPL teams, apart from Rajasthan Royals, lot more things could come out of the Pandora's box as investigation progresses. The investigating team also claimed that the arrested cricketers have named three more players from Rajasthan Royals but would go forward only after verifying the claim.

The police also said that Chandila's conversation with one of the bookies indicated that the scandal could have happened in the previous edition of the IPL. A report by Firstpost also said that cricketer-turned-bookie Amit Shah claimed during an interrogation that one of the matches between RR and Delhi Daredevils in IPL 5 might have been fixed, thus putting two players under the scanner.

"In the match, Rajasthan were chasing 152 runs and had lost only three wickets," a Delhi police official told Firstpost. RR ended up scoring 11 runs of the final over, running short of a run for a win.

Now, the police are probing into matches involving teams other then Rajasthan Royals and even the previous editions.

With the Mumbai police recovering a laptop, an iPad, a mobile phone, a data card, cash and a diary reportedly belonging to Sreesanth on Saturday, more revelations could follow. The alleged link of the scandal with the Pakistan-based underworld don Dawood Ibrahim could add more salt to the wounds.

The players have been charged under section 240 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). The BCCI has also suspended all the three players in question after the news of their involvement in spot-fixing surfaced.

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