|
|
|
| June 12, 2005 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 4, 1426 |
‘Bookie had links with Indian, foreign players’
AHMEDABAD (India), June 11: Mumbai-based bookie Shobhan Mehta had direct and indirect links with Indian players Mohammed Azharuddin, Nayan Mongia and Ajay Jadeja and foreign cricketers — Australian Mark Waugh and late South African captain Hansie Cronje, additional commissioner of police (crime branch) D.G. Vanjara said on Saturday.
“The interrogation of Mehta, who was brought from Mumbai on a transfer warrant with regard to a cricket betting case, has thrown up certain interesting facts,” Vanjara told reporters.
“He not only ran a cricket betting racket in the entire country, but also had links with Australian bookie Mark Peter and England bookie code-named oBlack 0365.”
“Mehta used to bet on probable result of a particular match like whether it will be a win or loss for one team or end in a draw”.
He said bookies associated with Mehta used to get ‘tips’ about “factors affecting a match directly or indirectly from players.
“Tips about pitch condition, weather, toss, individual team’s strategy, physical fitness of important players and several other matters were obtained by bookies,” Vanjara added.
Mehta used to place bets on the match after getting such tips.
“Mehta also revealed during interrogation that such tips were passed on to bookies by Indian players Azharuddin, Mongia and Jadeja,” he said adding that similar tips were also given to bookies by foreign players Mark Waugh and Cronje.
When asked if name of any current player cropped up during interrogation, he replied in negative.
“No names of any current player or politicians shielding bookies had cropped up during interrogation of Mehta.”
He said Mehta had not parted any information in connection with recent India-Pakistan One-day International in Ahmedabad where match was delayed for about 30 minutes giving grist to rumour mill of possible huge betting.
He said he also did not disclose anything regarding his alleged involvement with a Gujarat MP.
Vanjara said Mehta also had links with Mumbai-based gangsters like Arun Gawli, Arun Naik and Chotta Shakeel. “Members of these gangs also used to place bets through him (Mehta).”
Mehta’s betting syndicate was spread in Indian cities where international cricket was regularly played like Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and others, he added.
Meanwhile, former Indian wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia, whose name surfaced during interrogation of Mehta, on Saturday denied of having “ever met or known Mehta.”
“I do not know Shobhan Mehta. I have never met him or talked to him.”
Asked about claims made by Gujarat police that Mongia had given “tips” to bookies about important factors affecting result of a cricket match, he said: “I have never given tips to anybody either during my foreign tours or during any match being played in the country.”
He said he clarified all matters related to cricket betting to CBI which had earlier probed betting allegations against Indian players.
According to another report, raids were Saturday conducted at Rajkot residence of Gujarat-based cricket bookie Arjun Nihalchandani, who was arrested for his alleged links with Mehta, a top police official said.
“A team including Mumbai crime branch and Ahmedabad crime branch are conducting a raid at home of Arjun Nihalchandani alias Sindhi in Rajkot city today,” he added.
“The team is currently searching his house in junction area of Rajkot city. The raid is being conducted in connection with his alleged involvement in cricket-betting racket and links with Shoban Mehta.”—Agencies
|
|
|
|
