CHENNAI: Bengaluru police will record the statement of the India women’s cricketer who was allegedly approached to fix matches in February. BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) got an FIR registered against Rakesh Bafna and Jitendra Kothari for the alleged approach, last week.
The cops booked the duo on charges under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Karnataka Police Act. But they are waiting for the player’s statement. The cricketer is a part of team playing against South Africa in the five-match T20I series in Surat.
“Police will record the statement as part of their investigation. She is playing for India and will be available only after the series. The police haven’t made any arrest in the case so far,” ACU head Ajit Singh said.
The player was undergoing rehabilitation at National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru when the alleged approach was made in February ahead of a bilateral series between India and England. She recorded the conversation and handed it over to ACU, which in turn submitted it to ICC. After investigation, the world body reprimanded the accused and applauded the player for promptly reporting the matter. BCCI’s ACU, meanwhile, continued its investigation and reported this to Bengaluru police along with the recording and other evidence.
Speaking on the alleged corruption in Tamil Nadu Premier League and Karnataka Premier League, Singh said, “The state associations and police are investigating. We don’t want to interfere. We are waiting for them to finish their investigations before taking action.”
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