IPL spot-fixing: Midnight chase led to Sreesanth, others arrest

Mangalore Today/NDTV

Mumbai, May 17: After weeks of methodically sniffing the clues and following the signs, police ensured that the after-party following the Rajasthan Royals versus Mumbai Indians match on Wednesday ended in jail for three cricketers, tainted with spot-fixing allegations.

In what is being called a credibility crisis for Indian cricket, pacer S Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila were arrested by Delhi Police in the wee hours on Thursday from different places in Mumbai on charges of spot-fixing in at least three Indian Premier League games. The police also arrested 11 bookies.

 

A little before midnight on Wednesday, right after losing the RR-MI game at Wankhede, Sreesanth and Chavan made their way to the swanky pub Or-G in Bandra (W), said an insider from the pub.

Oblivious that they had been on the police radar for the past several weeks right up to that moment, the duo went in to meet a bookie Mithania, even as a cop squad was waiting in the wings outside the bar.

A special team of the Delhi Police, helped by the Mumbai Crime Branch, had been hot on the cricketer’s trail for the past few weeks. On the day, the sleuths kept tabs on each and every movement of Sreesanth and his two teammates. Even at the time Sreesanth left the stadium, cops were ceaselessly tracking him. The thorough surveillance culminated that night in a brilliantly laid trap outside the pub.

A source from Mumbai police, who was part of the special team that arrested the accused, said, "After spending half an hour at the pub, Ankeet Chavan left the pub, and one of the police teams began tailing him. When he reached the Intercontinental Hotel, cops arrested him. In the meantime, Sreesanth was still with Mithania inside the pub."

Around 1.30 am, Sreesanth left the pub, got in a car and began driving to Waterfield Road in Bandra, the source said. Mithania, too, got in another car and drove off. The police team broke up and got behind their quarries. No sooner did Sreesanth’s car reach Moti Mahal than the cops, stealthily chasing it all the while, intercepted it. The source said that three women were also present in the car. They are being questioned by the police.

In the meantime, the other police team nabbed Mithania from Linking Road. Sreesanth’s teammate Chandila was also arrested from the Trident Hotel.

In a media briefing on Thursday afternoon, Delhi Police showed clippings of the three matches in which the players were allegedly involved in fixing specific overs.

The police also read out transcripts of conversations between the cricketers and the bookies, and played video clips where players were seen giving ’indications’ ahead of a ’fixed’ over. More than 100 hours of audio clippings were investigated by the police to get clues to the cricketers’ involvement.

The officials said that Chandila received Rs. 20 lakh, Sreesanth and Chavan allegedly received Rs. 40 lakh and Rs. 50 lakh respectively for collaborating with bookies or their agents. The bowlers had allegedly been asked to give away a minimum of 14 runs in their second overs.

 

Ankeet Chavan, Sreesanth confesses to spot-fixing charge


Indian cricketer and Rajasthan Royals player S. Sreesanth Friday confessed to spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), police said.

"Sreesanth has confessed to spot-fixing. He was teary eyed during interrogation," a Delhi Police official told IANS.

Rajasthan Royals cricketer Ankeet Chavan was the first to accept his role in spot-fixing during questioned by Delhi Police while the third player, Ajit Chandila, has not yet accepted the charges.

The three were sent to a five-day police custody Thursday after being brought to Delhi from Mumbai, where they were arrested.

The trio were questioned Friday by officials of Delhi Police Special Cell.
Besides the three cricketers, Delhi Police have also arrested 11 bookies for alleged spot-fixing.