Mumbai: In a shocking development, Indian pacer S Sreesanth along with his two other Rajasthan Royals players, including Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by the Delhi Police for their involvement in spot-fixing in the on-going Indian Premier League.
The special cell of the Delhi police arrested Sreesanth from his friend’s place in Mumbai while the other two cricketers were arrested on Thursday night from the team hotel at Nariman Point for their alleged role in spot fixing. The arrest took place immediately after the players returned to their team hotel, following their match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede stadium. These players were said to be under the scanner for their role in spot fixing in some of the earlier IPL matches.
The police have also arrested seven bookies in Mumbai and three bookies in Delhi in connection with the same case. They are looking for two more bookies in Delhi.
The development comes as a shock for the IPL authorities who have time and again grappled with controversies and scandals ever since the league was launched in 2008. According to reports, IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla said he was awaiting details on the incident.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals authorities in statement said that they have been taken by surprise by this incident. “We have been informed that three of our players have been called in for investigation on spot fixing in matches. We are completely taken by surprise. We do not have the full facts at this point and are unable to confirm anything. We are in touch with the BCCI on this matter. We will fully cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation. The management at Rajasthan Royals has a zero-tolerance approach to anything that is against the spirit of the game," said the RR statement.
Meanwhile India's Sports Minister Jitendra Singh termed it to be a very unfortunate incident. “It's unfortunate that Delhi Police have arrested some cricket players for their alleged role in the spot fixing in the ongoing IPL tournament. The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Jitendra Singh has spoken to the Chairman of the IPL Rajeev Shukla on the issue and impressed upon him to take urgent steps to put in place a mechanism to prevent such unethical activities and ensure clean sports in the country. The Minister also emphasized that strict action be taken against all those who are found guilty to serve as a deterrent to others,” said a Sports Ministry statement.