IPL scam: No pressure on us, says Delhi Police chief

New Delhi - The Delhi Police today said there was no pressure on them to go soft on the three Rajasthan Royals players accused of spot-fixing and clarified that the team management had so far not filed a First Information report (FIR) against the trio.

“There is no pressure whatsoever and, in any case, even if there is any pressure we are going to take this probe to its logical end, come what may,” Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar told NDTV 24X7  after meeting the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit head Ravi Sawani.

S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan – all playing for the Rajasthan Royals – were arrested in Mumbai late Wednesday night by Delhi Police for alleged spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) held an emergency meeting on Sunday in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal and set up a panel to probe it. It also decided that agents of all players will now need to be accredited with the board while an official of BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), along with a security officer, will be assigned to each IPL team for its regulation.

The Rajasthan Royals management, who were invited for the meeting, expressed their intention to file a police complaint against the tainted trio. However, Neeraj Kumar said the team management had approached them but hadn’t filed an FIR so far.

“The Rajasthan Royals management has approached us that they will file a complaint because they have been cheated by the three players but they are yet to come to us (with a complaint),” he said adding that it was “more likely” that the complaint would become part of the ongoing investigations into the spot-fixing scandal.

Neeraj Kumar further said that the BCCI had asked the police to “share the findings at the end of our probe” which would help them take disciplinary action against the players.

“We will share the information only with the permission of the court,” he said.