IPL fixing probe: Global betting mafia Not Out

New Delhi: The Justice Mudgal Committee report may have indicted former Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan for betting and passing information, but as the bottom line of the document states, the rot runs deeper than one individual.

A report submitted to the panel by IPS officer G. Sampath Kumar, SP, Railways, Tiruchirappalli, not only throws the shadow of suspicion over cricketers as big as M.S. Dhoni and Suresh Raina, but also leads the trail of muck back to the dreaded ‘D’ Company of the underworld through Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Anees.

Sampath has given details of the interrogation of alleged ‘kingpin’ bookie Utham Jain alias Kitty, who is established as a key figure involved in betting and spot fixing.

He further implicates hotelier Vikram Agarwal, with whom he was personal friends.

Vikram is alleged to have warned Kitty to keep his mouth shut, warning him further by taking Anees Ibrahim’s name. The report states: “Vikram Agarwal told Kitty not to open his mouth, he also warned that Anees Ibrahim, brother of Dawood Ibrahim, executed one Delhi Inspector and his wife as the Inspector found a link with cricket betting and Anees Ibrahim’s gang. The Delhi Police Inspector Badish Dutt and one Geetha Sharma was killed by Anees Ibrahim gang to silence the inspector [sic].”

Talking about a possible match-fixing plot during the infamous Chennai-Rajasthan match on May 12, 2013, when Chennai scored 141 runs according to Gurunath’s prediction to his cohort Vindoo Dara Singh, the report states: “Vikram Agarwal told him [Kitty] that there was negotiation for match-fixing between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings and Meiyappan has to communicate to Chennai Super Kings captain M.S. Dhoni and few others for finalisation.”

“Later, Kitty came to know that they were planning to fix the match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings scheduled on 12.05.2013. Again on 27.04.2013 also, after the dinner party, negotiation was on and Vikram Agarwal informed to Kitty some deal was worked out. Later, after dinner party Meiyappan has informed that Chennai Super Kings captain M.S. Dhoni has agreed to play as per plan and his team will score 140 runs.” 

Vikram allegedly has shady contacts in UAE and Singapore, while Gurunath has links in Australia.