CHENNAI: With the BCCI busy counting numbers towards the end of yet another successful IPL that has set viewership records, the success of one of its less mentioned wings has gone unnoticed. The arrests in Kanpur on May 11 in connection with betting were the first resulting from an operation by the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.
It was significant also because two were arrested from the hotel the teams Gujarat Lions and Delhi Daredevils were staying in. The other person arrested had access to the ground, as a staff of a local agency handling in-stadia ads. Betting arrests are not new, but never before in India did they happen in such close proximity to cricket and cricketers.
“If not anything else, this should put the fear of god in those involved in these activities,” BCCI ACSU chief Neeraj Kumar told Express. “For all concerned, a message has gone out that the ACSU is not sitting on its haunches. There are people working towards tackling this problem, and the Kanpur incident shows we’re getting it right.”
The former Commissioner of Police of New Delhi was present during the operation carried out in filmy style at Kanpur’s Trident hotel. He was the only ACSU representative at the spot, when a team of the local police stormed into a room on the 17th floor and arrested two persons with around Rs 5 lakh in cash and several mobile phones.
“There are more cases where the ACSU came close, but couldn’t go further because we don’t have interrogative powers, and can’t conduct searches or raids on our own. This is the first instance of such an operation developed and executed by ACSU tasting success. Of course we needed the help of the local police in this,” said Kumar.
The official, whose investigation busted the IPL spot-fixing case involving S Sreesanth in 2013, said this time the accused were trying to do something with information related to “doctoring pitches”.
The third person had access inside the ground and “claimed that he could influence groundsmen in preparing certain types of pitches.” All three are facing betting and other charges under relevant sections.
That arrests were made at the hotel teams were staying in is alarming news, amid rumours that CCTV footage is being viewed to see if cricketers had access to the room of the accused. Refuting this, Kumar said players or team officials were not involved.
“Teams were in the same hotel, but you can’t control who else is booking rooms there. For IPL teams, may be 60-70 rooms are booked. The entire hotels isn’t for them. Even during Barrack Obama’s visit to New Delhi, others were allowed to book rooms in the same hotel,” said Kumar. He informed that none of the teams had rooms on the same floor.
atreyo@newindianexpress.com