Raj Kundra has confessed to betting - IPL Spot Fixing Scandal

Another IPL team owner has been caught betting. After Chennai Super Kings principal and the inoperative BCCI chief S Srinivasan's son in law, Gurunath Meiyappan, was arrested by Mumbai police for being in touch with bookies and placing bets, Rajasthan Royals owner, Raj Kundra, has confessed to the Delhi Police of doing the same.

While betting/gambling is a minor, bailable offence under the CrPC, the BCCI rules are pretty harsh. If an owner is caught betting, his team franchise can be terminated. So, Rajasthan Royals runs the risk of being scratched as Kundra is one of its owners. Meiyappan's status as CSK owner is disputed. If he's found to be not an owner but an important official in the team, CSK won't be scratched but will probably attract a hefty fine.

The Delhi Police commissioner told the media on Thursday that during his 11-hour interrogation on Wednesday, Kundra has confessed to placing bets on his team winning. He said Kundra has lost a lot of money on bets, which other police officers estimate it to be around Rs 1 crore in the last three IPL seasons. He also said that Kundra would place his bets through one Umesh Goenka, Kundra's business partner, whom the commissioner described as a "bookie".

Kundra and his wife Shilpa Shetty went back to Mumbai on Thursday as Delhi police was undecided on whether to slap the anti-gambling laws against Kundra. Police sources said Kundra was betting for the past three years while his friend Umesh Goenka has been betting in matches for past 6-7 years and was also in touch with several bookies. The cops are now trying to ascertain whether the Kundra-Goenka betting link was in any way connected with spot-fixing.

Police also revealed on Thursday that Shilpa Shetty had also placed bets in an IPL match. This was claimed by Umesh Goenka in his statement. Sources said they have identified a "money trail" and the bookies who routed Kundra and Goenka's wagered money. TOI had first reported on Thursday that Kundra was betting on IPL matches.

Raj Kundra reportedly told the cops that being a British national, "he was unaware of the fact that betting was illegal in India". He said that betting was legal in the UK. A policer officer, however, said that ignorance of the law was no defence. In any case, it was strange that Kundra didn't find anything odd in the manner in which bets were placed in India.

Delhi Police sources say that Umesh Goenka, who was given VIP passes by Kundra for every RR match, used to talk to team players and would ask them about team's strategy, pitch and other details and then place bets. Kundra gambled through Umesh, often by giving verbal instructions on the amount he would place and on what. In short, Goenka was acting as a bookie for Kundra.

Umesh, claimed the police, was in touch with many other bookies. "In betting world, if a person bets and when it is taken further (or doubled), words like kha liya (ate it) are used or having won on the initial amount, if he gambles again on the winnings, it would be referred to as badha diya (increased)," said an officer.

Officials said they will question Kundra once again and they currently taking a call on whether to charge him under gambling act or not.

Shilpa Shetty denied the allegations on Twitter saying her involvement in betting was "complete nonsense" and that she had "never bet on any cricket match ever". The tweets were retweeted by Kundra. Earlier in the day, the couple had tweeted denying all allegations. However, Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar came on record to say, "Raj Kundra has admitted to betting. He used to bet on his own team. We have also come to know that he has lost a lot of money in betting. He used to bet through Goenka, who is also a bookie".

Police have confiscated the passports of Kundra and Goenka to ensure that they do not leave the country during investigations. According to sources, Kundra became one of the owners of the team in the third season of IPL.

Reacting to police claims, Shilpa Shetty had tweeted earlier, "we love cricket, it's the passion for the sport that made us a part of IPL. It's extremely disheartening to keep clarifying that. For those who care, my apparent involvement in betting is complete nonsense and I have never bet on any cricket match ever. Truth will prevail. I won't be saying any more as the case is sub-judice."

Police sources said Goenka, who was born in Sikkim, was in the sponge iron business but had suffered losses. As he stayed near the residence of Kundra's mother in West Punjabi Bagh and knew each other, he became family friends and went to London where he met Kundra after his business collapsed. In 2008, he returned and started Ashwani Steel Private Ltd in Ahmedabad in which he has 16% stake while Kundra has 42% stake.

Sources said the name of Goenka, with whom Kundra owns a company dealing in steel business, came during the recording of statement of Trivedi, a prosecution witness in the case. In his statement recorded before a magistrate, sources said, Trivedi claimed that Goenka approached him and sought details about the cricket pitch in Ahmedabad and details about team formations.

The Mumbai underworld is involved in spot fixing in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in which Indian fast bowler S. Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates were arrested Thursday, Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar said. Armed with the video clippings of the give-away runs, the police chief also read out transcripts of the conversations between the players and the bookies.

The "mastermind is sitting abroad," said Delhi Police Chief Neeraj Kumar today, after announcing the arrest of three cricketers from the Rajasthan Royals team, including India Test pacer S Sreesanth, and 11 bookies on charges of spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League tournament now on.

Police sources say they are trying to piece together a larger nexus and investigations point to the involvement the underworld, even perhaps one of India's most-wanted men, Dawood Ibrahim.

At today's press conference, the Delhi Police chief explained the alleged spot-fixing modus operandi of bookies and players in detail and shared that the arrests were made after about six months of investigations that included intercepting telephone conversations. "We had information that the Mumbai underworld is indulging in match fixing and spot fixing. We were keeping them under surveillance," Mr Kumar said.

Of the bookies arrested, at least three allege police sources, are suspected to have been working for Dawood, who India believes lives in Karachi, Pakistan.

Police say phone calls made or received by these bookies were traced to Pakistan and Dubai.

The special cell of the Delhi police, which is conducted the operation,  has seized 51 mobile phones, five laptops and one recording machine in the case so far, but no cash has been seized yet.

But a lot of money changed hands, the police have alleged. They have alleged that Sreesanth was offered Rs. 40 lakhs to give away more than 14 runs in an over that he bowled in a match against the Kings XI Punjab at Mohali on May 9. In an earlier match, the police alleged, another player arrested Ajit Chandila was given as advance of Rs. 20 lakh but failed to use a code to indicate that he would bowl a fixed over. They have accused a third player, Ankeet Chavan of giving away 15 runs in the second over in a match on May 15, for Rs. 60 lakh.

The bookies and the players arrested have been charged with cheating and criminal conspiracy. 

The Delhi police moved to arrest S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan for alleged spot-fixing in the Pepsi IPL 2013 with evidence collected from three matches. Neeraj Kumar, the Delhi Police commissioner, said Rajasthan Royals’ matches against Pune Warriors India on May 5, against Kings XI Punjab on May 9 and against Mumbai Indians on May 15 were the tainted ones. In each game, one player adhered to pre-arranged agreements with bookies to concede a set number of runs, according to the Delhi Police.

The amounts paid to the players, for conceding a set of minimum runs in an over, ranged from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 60 lakh, police said.

“In this match, Chandila gave 14 runs in the second over of his spell,” said Kumar, referring to the Rajasthan-Pune match. “However, he (Chandila) forgot to give the predetermined signal. As a result of which, the bookies couldn’t bet. This led to demands for refunds off Chandila. Rs 20 lakh was paid as advance to him.”

Kumar said pre-arranged signals ranged from the accused players wearing a certain wrist-watch, rotating it at a certain time to lifting vests or shirts or putting towels in pockets. He said Sreesanth used a towel in the match against Punjab to signal that his second over was the one set for the spot-fix.

“Sreesanth was to put a towel in his trousers before the start of his second over, and give the bookies enough time for heavy booking,” said Kumar. “To give the bookies enough time to place heavy bets, he did some warm-up and stretching exercises before bowling his second over.”

Sreesanth conceded 13 runs in the over, bowling to Shaun Marsh and Adam Gilchrist. Even though Marsh failed to put away two short and wide balls, three fours were hit in the over.

Chavan was the bowler allegedly involved in spot-fixing in the match against Mumbai. “Here Chandila wasn’t playing but he acted as a go-between Chavan and the bookies,” said Kumar. “It was decided that 14 runs would be given (in Chavan’s over). He went for two in his first over. He was hit for a six off the first ball of his second over, then a two, then a six, and then controlled his bowling and gave away only one run. Chavan’s over was fixed for Rs 60 lakh and the advance was taken by Chandila.”

Kumar said that Jiju Janardhanan, a former club-level player, was the conduit between Sreesanth and the bookies. Some media outlets reported that Janardhanan was Sreesanth’s cousin, while others described him as a close childhood friend. Kumar confirmed that Janardhanan and Sreesanth both played for Ernakulam Club.

Sanjeev Yadav, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, showed the assembled media clips from the three matches illustrating each instance of alleged spot-fixing. Kumar said the Delhi Police’s investigations hadn’t revealed names of other cricketers, team owners or management.

Eleven bookies have been arrested so far, and Kumar indicated that more arrests were in the offing. Cases under sections 420 and 120B, which deal with cheating and criminal conspiracy, of the Indian Penal Code have been registered against the three players. Kumar, who was part of the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2000, when the investigation authority probed the match-fixing case, explained that the process of luring a player was a long-range one, and that the Delhi Police had stumbled on to the investigation by chance.

“This doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “I was in CBI when match-fixing enquiry was done. Bookies spot vulnerable people who can be compromised. It is sheer coincidence that three people from the same team have come into our net. We can’t say this has not happened in other teams or other matches with any amount of certainty. In this investigation, only these three names have come up.

“Some of you must be wondering how it all started. It was information that we had that the Mumbai underworld was indulging in match-fixing and spot-fixing, and were contacting a number of bookies. I cannot reveal the entire underworld relation. But there are overseas connections.”

Shilpa Shetty's team Rajasthan Royals Trio Sreesanth, Chavan, Chandila Arrested for Match Fixing On 16th May

 

Delhi Police have announced that they have arrest three Rajasthan Royals players who are Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila of who are all bowlers. The players have allegedly made contact with bookmakers and promised certain events during this year’s IPL. The Commissioner of Delhi Police said while releasing details of the arrest that there is no evidence to suggest that any other players, officials or franchises have been involved. The charges these players have received are those related to fraud, criminal conspiracy and cheating.

There have been three matches identified by Delhi Police in which the spot fixing had occurred. On May 6 against the Pune Warriors, May 9 against Kings XI Punjab and against the Mumbai Indians on May 15. Neeraj Kumar, the Commissioner of Delhi Police spoke about how the spot fixing involved the trio of bowlers to concede a certain amount of runs in an over and how they had certain signals to tell bookmakers what was going on. The police currently hold many tapes of phone conversations between players and bookmakers.

The BCCI have also took action on the players enforcing an immediate suspension due to the police being involved asking the players questions.

    “As of now, the three players Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandila and Sreesanth stand suspended pending inquiry. All information required to bring the persons involved to book will be collected and strictest action will be taken, if found guilty.”

    “We have been informed that three of our players have been called in for investigation on spot fixing in matches. We are completely taken by surprise. We do not have the full facts at this point and are unable to confirm anything,” Rajasthan Royals said in a statement. “We are in touch with the BCCI on this matter. We will fully cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation. The management at Rajasthan Royals has a zero-tolerance approach to anything that is against the spirit of the game.”

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police were tapping the phones of cricketers ever since the IPL began in April, an exercise that has netted pacer S Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals colleagues Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan today.

The three, along with seven bookies, have been arrested for spot-fixing of IPL matches. Sreesanth was arrested from his friend's place in Mumbai while the other two cricketers were arrested last night from the Trident hotel at Nariman Point for their alleged role in spot-fixing.

The arrests took place immediately after the players returned to their team hotel, following their match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede stadium. The hosts won by 14 runs.

More arrests are likely, with 12 matches under the scanner, police sources have said. Nearly 70 phones were tapped by the special cell. The cops said Ankeet Chavan fixed the Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians match, while Sreesanth fixed the Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI match.

Police said two bookies, identified as Jiju and one who goes by the code name Jupiter, represent Dawood Ibrahim's D company and had met players in Gurgaon on May 6 and 7. They said 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 have evidence of it.

Police said Sreesanth communicated with bookies through Whatapp and Blackberry Messenger and was not in direct touch with them over phone. 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.

Sources said about Rs 25 lakh was paid to each player, while part payment was in cash, the rest was to be paid in dollars. Police said the Rajasthan Royals' team management will be called later to be questioned on whether they were aware of any of this

Delhi police sources also said these players were under the scanner for their role in spot-fixing in some of the earlier IPL match although they did not elaborate which matches were under scrutiny.

The police are looking for two more bookies in Delhi.

The development comes as a shock for the IPL authorities who have time and again grappled with controversies and scandals ever since the league was launched in 2008.

IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla said he was awaiting details on the incident.

Rajasthan Royals CEO Raghu Iyer said that the three players were picked up by Delhi police last night and the team management was co-operating with the investigation.

"Rajasthan Royals has zero tolerance for corruption and we will take action, if charges are proved," he said. Rajasthan Royals also issued a statement in which they said that they are shocked by the development.

"We have been informed that three of our players have been called in for investigation on spot fixing in matches. We are completely taken by surprise. We do not have the full facts at this point and are unable to confirm anything.

"We are in touch with the BCCI on this matter. We will fully cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation. The management at Rajasthan Royals has a zero-tolerance approach to anything that is against the spirit of the game," the statement said. (With PTI inputs)