More names might come up: ACU chief on KPL spot-fixing scandal
CHENNAI: More revelations are on the cards in relation to the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) fixing case. The Karnataka police on Thursday arrested CM Gautam and Abrar Kazi on charges of spot-fixing. This may not be the end of it.
“More names might come out as far as the KPL scandal is concerned,” BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) head Ajit Singh told this daily. The ACU has been monitoring domestic T20 leagues from this year and played a role in exposing the rot, bringing under the scanner leagues like the KPL and Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).
“We’ve been exchanging information with the police. The ACU enquired about these players (those arrested) in the past. If we get a tip-off on someone, we question him and record his statement. During that, we confront him with evidence and if he is cooperative, he reveals more names, thus helping us in establishing a chain.”
In the KPL scandal, the ACU handed over the information it collected to the investigating agency (Central Crime Branch of Karnataka), which in turn used those in its investigation. “We don’t have punitive powers, so we shared information with police, who obtained corroborative details before taking action,” said the ACU head.
Speaking on cricketers, who are becoming increasingly susceptible to corrupt approaches, Singh opined, “Players whose careers are not going anywhere fall for these practices. If they get teams, whose owners are compromised, then they get involved in it without fear.”
The ACU chief asserted that detection is the best prevention. “If you keep brushing things under the carpet, then it will keep increasing. But if you detect and prosecute, then it’s the best way to tackle the menace. We have a system in place to curb corruption and it’ll help in preventing such practices in the future.”
TNPL case alive
Despite a committee formed by Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) reporting that all’s well in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), the ACU is not yet closing the case.
“We have not received their report. Players reported corrupt approaches in the league. Those who made the approaches might run into trouble. Something might happen in that case also,” Singh said. The TNCA’s probe committee concluded that “no actionable incidents had been noticed” after probing the allegations.