The IPL cricket betting and spot-fixing scandal assumed a deadlier dimension on Tuesday with the name of the global terrorist and India’s most wanted man, Dawood Ibrahim, and that of his aide Chhota Shakeel, now figuring in the case.
The Delhi police on Tuesday named Dawood and Chhota Shakeel as co-accused in the IPL spot-fixing scam. It also invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against 23 accused, including suspended cricketer S. Sreesanth, citing the money trail connecting to Dawood, Shakeel and many other people. The accused have been arrested for their alleged roles in spot-fixing.
“Spot-fixing was being done under the command of these persons (Dawood and Shakeel). We also found that a few of the bookies arrested for spot-fixing were operating directly under the command of Dawood and Shakeel. As we developed the information, which was received in March, the money trail led to various persons, including people based in India, Pakistan and Dubai. This proved that the accused were working under an international syndicate of organised crime. Hawala traders were also used to dispose of the money in different financial activities. We found it a perfect case to invoke MCOCA,” said a senior police official.
Following this, a Delhi court remanded cricketers Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila and the others in judicial custody till June 18. “Since the accused persons were acting at the command of people based abroad, like Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and Chota Shakeel who have a continuous past record of organised crime, provisions of Maharasthra Control of Organised Crime Act have been invoked against the accused,” the police told additional sessions judge Sanjiv Jain.
The court, in its order, referred to the approval granted by the joint commissioner of police (Special Cell) for invoking Sections 3 and 4 of MCOCA and also a report citing reasons for the same. “It has been stated that the approval for invoking MCOCA has been accorded by Jt CP, special cell, on the premise that the arrested persons/accused, through extensive use of electronics and via media, were in communication with each other and with their other associates, who are still absconding, including those associates who are based abroad. The illegal organised betting syndicate in India is being controlled by persons based abroad. The arrested accused persons have been found playing the role of conspirators while others have been found acting as facilitators,” the court quoted from the report.
Under MCOCA, a chargesheet can be filed within a maximum period of 180 days as against 60-90 days under the IPC. Police custody can be extended till 30 days under MCOCA whereas under IPC it is 15 days.
Under Section 3 of MCOCA, the accused face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment along with a fine of `5 lakh while under Section 4, the jail term can be up to 10 years along with a fine of `1 lakh. The properties of the accused can also be attached. The accused were earlier booked for cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.
The court also directed issuance of a production warrant for June 10 for Ramesh Vyas, who was arrested in Mumbai, after the police claimed he was in direct contact with Dawood Ibrahim and was handling the betting syndicate in south India. It also asked the Mumbai police to send back accused Ashwani Aggarwal, alias Tinku Mandi, who was handed over for interrogation as the prosecution alleged he controlled the betting in north India and was in touch with Vyas and Dawood.
The prosecution also told the court that they have “concrete” evidence, like intercepted telephonic conversations, to link Sreesanth and some others with D-Company.
A total 26 accused persons have been arrested by the Delhi police in the case. Of these 26, Rajasthan Royals’ Ankeet Chavan is on interim bail till June 6 while Sreesanth’s friend Abhishek Shukla is on regular bail.
Meanwhile, Sreesanth moved a fresh bail application before the court after the police invoked MCOCA against him and others. The additional sessions judge issued notice to the police seeking its reply on the application and fixed the same for hearing on June 7.
Earlier on Tuesday his counsel withdrew the application pending before a magisterial court which would not hear the same after invocation of MCOCA.
Sreesanth’s friend, alleged bookie Jiju Janardhan, also moved a fresh bail plea. Bookie Ashwani Aggarwal, who the police claimed was in touch with people based abroad in the fixing scandal, also moved a bail plea saying the contents of the FIR registered against him are “presumptive in nature” and that “the police has now invoked MCOCA against all the accused when it has not been able to collect any evidence to show its applicability”.
The other accused who moved fresh bail applications on Tuesday are Mohammed Yahya, Ajay Goel, Amit Gupta, Sunil Saxena, Sayed Durez Ahmed, Kiran Dhole, Dipit Garg and Ramakant Vyas. All the bail pleas are to be heard on June 7.