Reports: Police arrest international bookie Sayyam in KPL spot-fixing scandal

The Karnataka Premier League (KPL) continues to galore all the forgettable headlines in the past few weeks.  Following the arrest of high-profile cricketers like wicketkeeper-batsman CM Gautam and Mizoram skipper Abrar Kazi, if the reports are to be believed, an international bookie was arrested by the police on Sunday in connection to fixing scandal.

According to a report published in Sportscafe, the police have now caught hold of an International bookie, Sayyam. Sayyam had reportedly approached celebrity drummer Bhavesh Bafna to fix games in the Karnataka Premier League. According to the report, the police had issued a look-out circular for Sayyam after the bookie, who hails from Haryana, had fled to the West Indies. As soon as the bookie landed back in India, the police duly arrested him. 

According to the police, it was after Sayyam had approached  Bafna, that the star-drummer approached to bribe Bellary Tuskers bowler Bhavesh Gulecha. During the game, Gulecha was asked by Bafna to concede more than ten runs in an over, before the bowler declined and proceeded to launch a complaint with the police; one that led to the arrest of Bafna and the eventual lookout circular for the International bookie.

Sayyam joins the list of series of arrests in the KPL spot-fixing scandal

Earlier, it was reported that the BCCI was preparing to conduct its own inquiry into the KPL spot-fixing scandal. Ajit Singh, head of the BCCI ACU, will apprise the BCCI president on the entire issue.

“There are two points here. When the Bangalore police file its charge sheet, its investigation will be complete. We’ll take a copy of that charge-sheet. Secondly, there are some people against whom we have also launched our inquiry. We’re taking their statements and giving them the opportunity to defend themselves. After that, we’ll propose the necessary action to the Board,” Singh had told The Times of India on Friday.

However, on being asked whether the ACU will act against the bookies, Singh had made it clear that they can’t but if they find something, they’ll pass it to the local authorities.

“They’re ‘participants.’ It’s a wide definition, which includes, players and support staff, or anyone. However, we can’t give you the names until we complete the inquiry. We’re in touch with the police. If we’ve something, we pass it on to them because they’ve got the legal authority to take care of a much wider spectrum.

We can only take action against the ‘participants,’ but they can do that against the others, like the bookies, too. We can’t act against the bookies,” he said. Sayyam’s arrest joins a long list of arrests made by the police in the KPL spot-fixing scandal, which include Ali Ashfaq- the owner of Belagavi Panthers- Cricketers CM Gautam and Abrar Qazi.

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