Karnataka Premier League betting: Charge sheets against 16 for spot-fixing

Bengaluru, Feb 8:  Three charge sheets have been filed against 16 persons in the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) spot-fixing scandal, including a former Ranji player, a senior Bengaluru Police officer said on Saturday.

"Those charge-sheeted on Friday include five players, five bookies, two KPL team owners and a member of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA)," Central Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain told IANS.

Jain said the three charge sheets filed are preliminary. "Investigations will continue, and if we find something else, we will proceed accordingly," he said.

Sudhendra Shinde, a former Ranji Trophy player, was the state cricket body member booked on charges of colluding with Belagavi Panthers owner Asfaq Ali Thara in betting and spot-fixing in the KPL matches.

"Shinde colluded with Ali and facilitated his entry into the KPL and has been part of all the conspiracies with him," said Jain.

Fourteen of the charge sheeted were arrested and since released on bail. Two bookies, Amit Mavi and Manoj Kumar, are absconding.

According to the charge sheets, police identified four cases of spot-fixing, including the 2019 final KPL between Ballari Tuskers and Belgavi Panthers.

In one of the instances, Ballari Tuskers captain and teammate Abrar Qazi allegedly agreed to bat slow in lieu of Rs 20 lakh.

Similarly, Bengaluru Blasters bowling coach Vinuprasad and batsman M. Vishwanathan allegedly colluded to fix a match with Ballari Tuskers for Rs 10 lakh.

Nishanth Singh Shekhawat, also from Bengaluru Blasters, has been booked in the betting case.

According to police, the players involved used sign language to communicate over match-fixing like folding sleeves, switching bat between hands etc.

All the charge-sheeted persons were booked under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for cheating.

However, the police officer said, the probe did not find anything related to honey-trapping in the case or that women were involved.

Even though the police raided the state cricket association's secretary Suresh Menon's residence and seized some electronic gadgets, Jain said no incriminating material was found. "That's why we did not accuse or arrest Menon, but we are verifying and clarifying the issues further. We may get a clear picture in the future," said Jain.

Run by the KSCA with the Board of Control for Cricket in India's approval, the KPL is an intra-state T20 tournament since marred by betting, honey-trapping and spot-fixing controversies.