The special cell of the Delhi police got a tip-off in the middle of the March about the plan of bookies’ to indulge in spot fixing in the IPL-6.
The police kept the numbers of the suspects under surveillance and they intercepted calls from a Dubai number.
According to the investigators, the conversations between the bookies led them to the three Rajasthan Royal players — Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan. A senior police official said they had intercepted a call from a Dubai number but they cannot say it for sure whether the person was in Dubai when the call made. “He can use a Dubai number and call from anywhere,” he said.
DCP (special cell) Sanjeev Yadav read out the excerpts of tapped conversations between bookies and IPL cricketers on Thursday during a press conference.
The first conversation was before a match between Pune Warriors and Rajasthan Royals on May five allegedly between player Ajit Chandila and a bookie Amit:
Chandila: Yes, tell me brother. Let me go. I will give the signal. Let the first over go. I will see.
Amit: Do the first over with confidence and with same confidence do the second over for us.
Chandila: Okay, okay. I will do.
Amit: What will be your signal? Chandila: I will pull my both T-shirts up and down and will then look up before starting the over.
In this over, Chandila, however, forgot to give the signal but allegedly gave away 14 runs as promised.
“This led to a lot of arguments and demand for return of money (`20 lakh) advanced to him. Another `20 lakh was to be given after the match. Chandila had to return the money,” Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar told reporters here.
In the second phone tapping police recorded conversation of Indian pacer Sreesanth’s close friend Jiju Janardan’s with bookie Chand before May 9 match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. Sreesanth was to give away 14 runs in the second over he bowled.
Chand: What will be the signal? Jiju: I have told him. He will not do any thing which is unusual. He will tuck in a towel before bowling the second over.
Chand: Brother please advise him to give us some time before starting the over as we can start our booking.
The third conversation was between players Chandila and Amit Chavan before Wednesday’s match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians. .
Chavan: I am outside.
Chandila: Okay. Should I say yes?
Chavan: Yes, but how much?
Chandila: They are saying 12.
Chavan: No, I don’t think that’s possible. It will be too much.
Chandila: It will be done. Should I say yes?
Chavan: Ok. Say yes.