M A I N   N E W S

Kishan Kumar arrested
Bindra told board of match-fixing
Tribune News Service and agencies

NEW DELHI, April 15 — While former BCCI president, Mr I.S. Bindra, today said “match fixing” had been going on for quite sometime but his complaints about it evoked little result, Bollywood actor Kishan Kumar, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate late last night, was today remanded to 14-day judicial custody.

The Metropolitan Magistrate, Ms Swaran Kanta Mehra, who went to Indraprastha Apollo Hospital where Krishan Kumar is admitted, remanded the Bollywood actor to judicial custody till April 29.

Mr Bindra said “match-fixing has been going on for quite sometime and there have been various instances when this has been brought to the attention of the board. But, unfortunately, no action has been taken.”

Citing his own experience, Mr Bindra said he had himself informed the board about a match in Sharjah between New Zealand and India, which was “fixed.”

“The secretary of the Pakistan Cricket Board came to him 15 minutes before the start of the match and enquired if he knew what the result of the match was going to be Mr Bindra said. He then added that the team would score between 185—187 runs and four prominent players would throw their wickets.

Mr Bindra was shocked when the four players mentioned actually ran themselves out. On his return, the board was informed but no action was initiated, Mr Bindra told a television channel in an interview to be telecast tomorrow.

Krishan Kumar has been arrested for violating Section 8 and 9 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. The officials of the Enforcement Directorate said the accused had indulged in hawala transactions, which violated the FERA provisions.

These violations were brought to light during the custodial interrogation of another accused arrested in the case, Mr Rajesh Kalra.

Kalra who was in ED custody for two days and was today remanded to ED custody for another day. Kalra has moved a bail application, which will come up for hearing during the next sitting of the court.

Kishan Kumar was admitted to the intensive care unit of Apollo Hospital’s Cardiology Department on Friday following his discharge from Kailash hospital in NOIDA in Uttar Pradesh. He had complained of chest pain and blood pressure.

The Magistrate held court proceedings at the hospital as Kumar was not in condition to be produced in Patiala House Court.

The special prosecutor of the Enforcement Directorate, Mr Subhash Bansal, moved an application to shift Kishan Kumar to AIIMS seeking his medical examination by a panel of doctors.

The Magistrate put the application for hearing before the Additional Chief Matropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), Ms Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal on Monday and also sought a report from the hospital on whether shifting Kumar to AIIMS would be possible on Monday.

She directed Dr Raman Puri to submit his report on Monday.

Talking to reporters, Dr Puri said the condition of Krishna Kumar was “stable” and he could be interrogated by the ED and Crime Branch personnel.

“We have conducted several tests on Krishan Kumar and they have come out to be negative. We plan to conduct one final test on Monday to find out whether there is any blockage in his veins,” Dr Puri said, adding that “tests so far conducted indicate that its likelihood is minimal.”

When asked if the Bollywood actor would be seen by a psychologist, Dr Puri said “if all the test results indicate negative results, then a psychologist would be summoned to see whether he is getting pains in chest due to psychological reasons.”

Krishan Kumar’s name had come up during the interrogation of Rajesh Kalra the only suspect arrested in the match-fixing case by the Delhi Police so far.

Rajesh Kalra who appeared before the court wearing red T-shirt and black trousers told the magistrate, “whatever I had to tell them, I have told. I have nothing more to tell the ED people”.

MUMBAI: The cricket board is expected to take a decision on the demand to make public the Justice Chandrachud Committee report on betting and match-fixing in Indian cricket at its office-bearers’ meeting with International Cricket Council President Jagmohan Dalmiya next week in Calcutta.

“We will take a decision on that issue on April 18 during our meeting with Dalmiya”, Board secretary Jaywant Lele told PTI when contacted in Baroda.

The pressure on the board to make public the report, submitted by the former Chief Justice in 1997, has increased following the opinions of the man who headed the one-man probe commission himself and Home Minister L.K. Advani in favour of such a step being taken by BCCI.

“The report was done at the behest of BCCI and I do not know why they have not published it as yet,” the Home Minister had told a private TV channel yesterday.