Kundra has admitted to betting: Delhi Police

Raj Kundra

New Delhi - Contradicting claims made by Raj Kundra, the Delhi Police today said the Rajasthan Royals co-owner has admitted he was involved in betting in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Delhi Police officials said that during a ten-hour grilling here yesterday, Kundra had admitted to betting in the IPL after which his passport was seized today.

“Kundra has admitted that he used to bet on his own team Rajasthan Royals and revealed that he lost money in betting at times,” a Delhi Police official told IANS.

Earlier in the day Kundra, a British national, claimed that he was just helping Delhi Police crime branch in the IPL spot fixing investigations.

“Just for the media who spent a full day outside crime branch and didn’t get a bite – My visit to crime branch was to help them in the case,” Kundra had tweeted Wednesday night.

According to Delhi Police, Kundra also told the investigators that his business partner Umesh Goenka, who is an industrialist based in Ahmedabad, was also involved in betting for the last two years.

“Kundra has told us that he along with his business partner Umesh Goenka was involved in betting for the last two years. We have seized Kundra’s passport so that he doesn’t go out of the country till the spot fixing probe is over. We will be questioning him further,” the official added.

Kundra, who is a British national, has businesses in Dubai, Ukraine and Botswana.

“Kundra’s role is very important in the Rajasthan Royals team. We are yet to decide on his arrest. It will be known only after further questioning. As of now we are not giving a clean chit to both Kundra and Goenka,” the official added.

Delhi Police have arrested 26 people in the case, including S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan — part of the Rajasthan Royals team.

While 23 people have been sent to judicial custody, two of them, Chavan and Sreesanth’s friend Abhishek Shukla, are on bail and bookie Tinku Mandy has been handed over to Mumbai Police.

The 26 people were on Tuesday booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. Altogether, some 60 people have been arrested across the country in connection with the spot fixing scam.