The Delhi Police investigating the spot-fixing scandal are probing more than three IPL matches, a senior officer said on Thursday. Though the officer did not identify the matches and players who are under scrutiny, saying it would hamper the probe, he maintained that at least seven matches played by Rajasthan Royals are under scrutiny.
“There could be more teams and players roped in by the betting syndicate. We are collecting proof before taking further steps. We have recorded and examined the bookies and players’ confessions and based on it requested for video footage of 10 matches of Rajasthan Royals,” he said.
Special Cell sleuths are also looking into the role of a Delhi-based betting racket with alleged proximity to a player who recently shot into the limelight. Although there is no evidence against the player, the probe could unearth the shady dealings of betting syndicates through a prominent bookie.
“We have received explosive information related to international betting syndicates linked to Delhi but there is no concrete evidence as of now,” a source said.
It is learnt that the Delhi-based bookie’s modus operandi first came under the scanner after the police interrogated a bookie picked up from Mumbai. Sources said he was in regular touch with associates in Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Mumbai and had access to officials and players in the IPL. He claimed to have nurtured several players since their U-14 days so that he could reap the benefits later.
The source also confirmed that bookie Sunil Bhatia, who roped in Ajit Chandila to fix matches in the IPL through Chandila’s club-mate Manish Guddewar, allegedly paid `12 lakh to fix matches in last year’s IPL.
Bhatia said the money came to him through hawala channels and he was in touch with a high-profile bookmaker in Mumbai who had promised foreign exchange if he was able to lure overseas players.
Bhatia is understood to have told the sleuths that he does not remember how much money he received this season through the hawala channels but gave details of two operators in Mumbai.