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Cricket PlayersIPL verdict: Mumbai police probe in 2013 helped nail Meiyappan
The Supreme Court's verdict banning former Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan may have shaken the cricket world but it was the meticulous investigations of the Mumbai crime branch's property cell that exposed his role for betting in IPL 6.
The Supreme Court's verdict banning former Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan may have shaken the cricket world but it was the meticulous investigations of the Mumbai crime branch's property cell that exposed his role for betting in IPL 6.
Meiyappan's arrest in May 2013 was based on his conversations with actor Vindoo Dara Singh, which revealed he leaked inside information of the CSK franchise- of which he was the team principal -- and placed bets through Vindoo.
Police said he also revealed team strategies to Vindoo, who would relay them to bookies. The son-in-law of ICC chief N Srinivasan was denied all links with the CSK management but was quickly refuted through emails, visiting cards and other documents seized by the authorities.
Read:IPL betting verdict: Chennai, Rajasthan suspended for 2 yrs; Kundra, Meiyappan banned for life
Sources said Meiyappan leaked details of the team's composition and batting order to Vindoo through several calls made between the two during the T20 season.
The controversy broke out during the sixth edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League in 2013, which was the also the first time Meiyappan got into betting. He placed bets worth over Rs 10 crore throughout the season and lost around a crore. The hugely-popular two-time winning franchise was defeated in the finals by the Mumbai Indians.
Police nailed him using a crucial phone transcript of a call made by Meiyappan to Vindoo on May 12 when CSK were playing Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Jaipur, sources said.
Meiyappan told Vindoo to place bets against his team and also said the CSK would make 130 to 140 runs.
The actor passed the information to the bookies but used his own judgment and placed bets for himself and Meiyappan on RR and lost money. The CSK did make 141 runs but were defeated by five wickets. Sources said he did not pay any money nor received any as all betting accounts are generally settled after the cricket season.
Additional director general of police Himanshu Roy, who headed the crime branch during investigations, told HT they appeared before the SC-appointed Mukul Mudgal committee and were appreciated for their probe.
Read:10 key takeaways from Justice Lodha's verdict on IPL betting
