Asad Rauf charged in IPL betting scandal

Published September 21, 2013
Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni enjoys a light moment with umpire Asad Rauf during the final day of the first Test match between India and South Africa at The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 30, 2008. — AFP
Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni enjoys a light moment with umpire Asad Rauf during the final day of the first Test match between India and South Africa at The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 30, 2008. — AFP

MUMBAI: Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf and the son-in-law of the Indian cricket board's (BCCI) president were charged by Mumbai Police on Saturday in a betting scandal surrounding the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of BCCI president N. Srinivasan, was arrested in May after being quizzed by police probing illegal betting on the Twenty20 league.

A total of 22 people have been charged for gambling, cheating and fraud, the police said.

“The chargesheet runs into 11,609 pages and was submitted in the honourable court this afternoon,” Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of Mumbai Police, told reporters in Mumbai.

The 57-year-old Rauf, who has officiated 48 tests and 98 one-day internationals, was removed from the Champions Trophy panel in May by the International Cricket Council following reports of his involvement in the scandal. He has maintained his innocence and called for proof regarding the allegations of corruption against him.

The BCCI last week banned former India fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and another player for life on spot-fixing charges.

BCCI chief Srinivasan has distanced himself from Meiyappan, who was a top official with the IPL's Chennai franchise.

“This is a matter for Mr Gurunath Meiyappan to deal with. If he is chargesheeted, the law will take it own course,” Srinivasan told reporters in Chennai.

“It is up to him to defend his position, it has got nothing to do with me.”

Opinion

Editorial

Plugging the gap
06 May, 2024

Plugging the gap

IN Pakistan, bias begins at birth for the girl child as discriminatory norms, orthodox attitudes and poverty impede...
Terrains of dread
06 May, 2024

Terrains of dread

KARACHI, with its long history of crime, is well-acquainted with the menace. For some time now, it has witnessed...
Appointment rules
06 May, 2024

Appointment rules

IT appears that, despite years of wrangling over the issue, the country’s top legal minds remain unable to decide...
Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....