IPL scam: Ex-Ranji player introduced Royals player to bookie

New Delhi – Former Ranji cricket player Baburao Yadav, arrested in the IPL spot fixing scandal, was in constant touch with a bookie for two years and introduced him to an accused Rajasthan Royals player, Delhi Police said Tuesday.

Yadav, who was arrested Monday, came in contact with bookie Sunil Bhatia in 2007 and was in touch with him till 2008, police said.

Picked up from Delhi, Yadav was questioned for his links with arrested Rajasthan Royals cricketer Ajit Chandila. He was the one who introduced Chandila to Bhatia, who is also in custody, a police official said.

“We are yet to find out the details of the exact discussion between Bhatia and Yadav as their interrogation is on,” said the official.

Police also said they have collected voice samples of nine of the 18 accused in their custody, including some of the bookies and the three arrested players – S. Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Chandila.

Police have also taken the handwriting samples of the three players.

The official said they have added Section 409 (criminal breach of trust) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) to the case against 18 people, including players and bookies, arrested for the scandal after Indian Premier league (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals filed a formal complaint with Delhi Police.

“Our case became strong after receiving the complaint against the arrested IPL players made by Rajasthan Royals CFO Satendra Saraswat Monday,” said the official.

In the complaint, the IPL franchise claimed that they had entered into an agreement with the three players that the cricketers will abide by the rules and regulations laid by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL.

Sources said the franchise said they came to know that the players indulged in spot fixing with a personal motive and for financial gains and that they “fundamentally eroded” the sanctity of the game.

They sought registration of case under Section 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent). Police added the charge of section 409 into the case which already has sections 420 and 120-B.

In a reply to a question why Sreesanth’s voice sample was taken, police sources said he was using the phone of Jiju Janardhan, who was the conduit between the cricketer and bookies, and they had to match his voice with the recorded voice.

Sources also said the girlfriend of Sreesanth has no role in spot-fixing and she was unaware about his dealings.

“Sreesanth was also not in touch with Chandila. We do not have any phone conversations between both the players talking about fixing matches,” the official said.

Asked whether any Bollywood link cropped up in their investigations, he answered in the negative.

Meanwhile, chairperson of Rajasthan Royals, which Monday gave the boot to Sreesanth and two other tainted players over the spot fixing scandal, met Special Cell officials at Lodhi Road.

Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar also went to Special Cell office and was briefed about the developments in the case.

At least 18 people — three IPL players, four former players and 11 bookies and their assistants — have been arrested by Delhi Police since last Thursday in connection with the scandal. The Mumbai police have also made some arrests.