Rajputana Premier League: 14, including players, held for fixing
Jaipur police on Thursday busted a match fixing racket and arrested 14 people including six players associated with the Rajputana Premier League
Jaipur police on Thursday busted a match fixing racket and arrested 14 people including six players associated with the Rajputana Premier League.
Commissioner of police Sanjay Agarwal said the crime branch of the Jaipur police had received a tip-off from the anti-corruption and security unit of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which led to the arrests.
“We have found that many of the players and other persons associated with the league were involved in match and spot fixing. We have arrested a total of 14 people including the two masterminds- Wazir Ali and Bahare Khan,” said Agarwal.
Police said several of the matches in the league, which started from July 11 and was also being telecasted live on a private channel, were suspected to be fixed.
“The crime branch raided four hotels in the city on Wednesday night and after questioning around 60 people we arrested 14 of them. We have confiscated Rs. 38 lakh in cash along with 18 mobile phones, 2 walkie talkies and 1 laptop,” said the commissioner.
Police said the two masterminds would arrange for the players as well as umpires for the matches.
“Both Ali and Khan would constantly be communicating with bookies in different places and would fix the matches according to instructions received by them,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Vikas Pathak.
He said Ali was also planning to organise such a similar cricket league in Dubai.
The now tainted Rajputana Premier League was inaugurated with much fanfare in the presence of several Bollywood and sports personalities.
“We have learnt that on a cricket match that took place on July 19, the match was deliberately fixed and eventually tied because the bookies had sustained losses and the outcome of a tie the losses were recovered,” said Pathak.
Police said more such arrests were likely and further investigations were on in the case.