New mystery in Indian Premier League spot-fixing saga

The spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) came into the spotlight when three players of Rajasthan Royals were arrested for allegedly indulging in illegal activities. Former Indian national team pacer S Sreesanth was a notable mention among the three. Many started doubting the sanctity and holiness of the mega-affair ever since. Police were hyperactive in that case, but a new controversy has been brought up now.

Three individuals were arrested from the Hotel Landmark in Kanpur, the same hotel where players of Gujarat Lions team were stationed. Those three reportedly were members of a betting syndicate. They told the police clearly that they had approached the player to fix the game. But BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) rejected any such claims.

What’s the mystery here?

ACSU denied any approach made to the players without any proper investigation, which led to a new mystery. The three bookies –  Ramesh Nayan Shah, Ramesh Kumar and Vikas Chauhan — were staying on the 17th floor of the hotel, close to the rooms of the players. Sources reveal that it is clearly visible in the CCTV footage that the three bookies, alongside kingpin Bunty, entered Room no 1733 along with three ‘premium’ Gujarat Lions’ player. Interestingly, two of them were former players of the temporarily banned franchise Chennai Super Kings.

The police arrested the three men, but well-known bookie Bunty walked out of the hotel without any trouble. Police are now searching for Bunty in Ajmer now, which makes the case more interesting. If Bunty was in their ‘Wanted’ list, why was he able to walk out of the hotel without any resilience?

After walking out of the ‘infamous’ Hotel Landmark where former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin once introduced a bookie to late Hansie Cronje, Bunty called someone in Dubai and said: “Gujarat’s players have been managed and they will lose the game,” reported DNA.

Gujarat did manage to lose the game even after scoring 195 runs. According to sources, one of those three players was found in the list of 13 names sent to the Supreme Court by the team of Justice Mukul Mudgal in a sealed envelope.

BCCI expected a proper investigation to go on, but ACSU’s chief Neeraj Kumar denied any illegal indulgence by the players. That too, without any proper investigation, when CCTV footage clearly shows three ‘big’ players enter a room with kingpin Bunty and other three bookies. It is also unknown why was Bunty allowed to walk out of the hotel without any interrogation.

These proceedings have made the board unhappy. “As per BCCI’s constitution, ACSU reports directly to Board president. Since the Board is in shambles right now, it is the duty of Committee of Administrators (COA) to ensure that thorough investigation is carried out in this case. ACSU chief was the Delhi’s police commissioner then. If he failed to nail any player then, how can you expect a different outcome now when he has no power whatsoever?” said a senior BCCI official speaking to DNA.