M A I N   N E W S

Chandrachud report to be made public

CALCUTTA, April 18 (PTI, UNI) — The Indian cricket board today decided to make the Justice Chandrachud report on match-fixing and betting public and welcomed a fresh probe by the police or any other investigating agency to clean up any mess relating to the game in the country.

“The Indian cricket board has informed us that to avoid any confusion and in response to the demand by some members of Parliament, the Chandrachud report will be made public,” the International Cricket Council (ICC) President, Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, said at a crowded press conference here.

Mr Dalmiya said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would request the Sports Ministry to table the report in Parliament and to set the matter at rest. A copy of the report would also be sent to the Delhi police, which is currently investigating the Hansie Cronje case. The report would also be put on the internet for public viewing.

The decision to make public the one-man Justice Chandrachud inquiry committee report was taken after a meeting between top BCCI officials and the ICC President.

The BCCI President, Mr A.C. Muthiah, who was also present at the press conference, said the board had taken several steps in the wake of match-fixing and betting allegations and would soon formulate a code of conduct for the players.

Mr Muthiah tonight refuted United Cricket Board of South Africa chief Ali Bacher’s allegation that the Indian subcontinent was the source of betting and match-fixing.

The BCCI President said he had a telephonic talk with Mr Bacher recently and reacted strongly to his allegation.

Mr Muthiah also reputed the allegation of one of his predecessors and former BCCI President I.S. Bindra’s that four top BCCI officials in their reports stated that some of the cricketers in India were involved in match-fixing and betting. He said none of the managers — Jyoti Bajpai, D.V. Subba Rao, Brijesh Patel and Madan Lal as coach made such reports to the BCCI presidents.

Earlier, Dr Muthiah and other senior board members met Mr Dalmiya here today after the latter summoned Dr Muthiah and his board colleagues to discuss and exchange views on the recent allegation of betting and match-fixing, which had rocked the cricket world.

The BCCI would direct all its present and former office-bearers, members, players, officials, coaches and managers to subject themselves to the inquiry by the Delhi police. The board would also appeal to the media, cricket-loving people and all concerned to come forward and disclose to the Delhi police any related information in their possession without fear or favour, Mr Dalmiya stated.

The Indian cricket board would also request the government to provide proper security to those, wishing to disclose facts, the ICC President asserted.

Mr Dalmiya said the BCCI had decided to direct Mr Raj Singh Dungarpur to forward the reports of Mr Sunil Dev, Mr Madan Lal, Mr D.V. Subba Rao and Mr Brijesh Patel to the Sports Ministry.

The board had also decided to ask Mr Bindra to send the report submitted by Mr Jyoti Bajpai to the Delhi police and Union Sports Ministry as well. Mr Dungarpur and Mr Bindra were presidents of the Indian cricket board, when the above mentioned persons were managers.

Referring to the television programme in which Mr Bindra claimed to have reprimanded three Indian cricketers for their involvement in betting or match-fixing when he was the president and also about a report that a former secretary of Pakistan Cricket Board had stated to him that a match between India and New Zealand at Sharjah was fixed, the Indian cricket board informed that it had no knowledge of any such incident.

Mr Dalmiya said in the same television programme, one of the board vice-presidents Kamal Morarka had referred to one of the journalists present in the programme, who claimed that he was offered Rs 40 lakh by a bookmaker to fix a match in the one of his articles, the BCCI informed that after the article was published, a starred question was raised in Parliament by its members.

The article had hinted at the involvement of one of the cricketers (Sachin Tendulkar) and the government had sought the BCCI’s views. Tendulkar firmly denied any involvement and the same was informed to the government.

Mr Dalmiya said journalist concerned Pradeep Magazine wrote to the BCCI clarifying that it was he who was offered money, not Tendulkar. The BCCI had asked Mr Magazine to divulge the name of the bookmaker, who had offered him money. But no response had been received from him, the board officials said.

CBI approaches Interpol
From Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI, April 18 — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reportedly forwarded a request letter of the Delhi police to Interpol to obtain voice sample of the sacked captain of South African cricket team, Hansie Cronje, and London-based NRI Sanjeev Chawla to authenticate their tapped telephone conversations.

According to sources in the Delhi police, the letter of request seeking the help of the Interpol in connection with the match-fixing case was forwarded last week. The response of the Interpol was expected very soon.

The police requested the Interpol to trace the bank account number of Sanjeev Chawla and provide details of transactions made by him during the past two months.

The Interpol has been asked to verify whether any of the five South African cricketers — Hansie Cronje, Nicky Boje, Henry Williams, Pieter Strydom and Herschelle Gibbs — allegedly involved in the match-fixing case have any account in London and if so transactions made therein, the sources said.

The sources said the Delhi police had also sought the help of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to collect details of South African cricket team’s trip to India during which the match-fixing scandal took place.

To identify the role of people other than cricketers, the police urged the BCCI to provide the details of the officials who accompanied the team in India.

It has also asked to verify whether some South African officials joined the team during its stay in India.

Meanwhile, the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, today began discussions with the BCCI officials to discus the fallout of the scandal.

A city court today also passed an order to send Kishan Kumar, brother of slain music baron Gulshan Kumar, to Tihar Jail. He was shifted to AIIMS from Apollo hospital as he had some chest pain.

He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on April 14 and was sent to the judicial custody. But he was in hospital for treatment of chest pain.

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Ms Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, passed this order after an application was moved by the Public Prosecutor of ED and a medical report of Kishan Kumar’s health condition was submitted before the court by a panel of AIIMS doctors.

Arguing the case, Kishan Kumar’s counsel Suhail Khan said the report was prepared on the basis of medical examinations done at Apollo and Kailash hospitals while the court order was that the accused should be examined thoroughly by a panel of doctors at AIIMS.

However, Mrs Sehgal read the report loudly in which it was written that the two ECG of Kishan Kumar were examined at the AIIMS and he was found fit to be sent to jail. He was sent to jail till April 29.

She also passed an order asking the Medical Superintendent (MS) of RML Hospital to explain why the health report of Rajesh Kalra, only accused interrogated by the ED and Delhi police so far, was not submitted before the court.

Rajesh Kalra was in custody of the ED till today but he was admitted to the hospital because of chest pain and sent to the judicial custody. The court passed an order yesterday for submitting a medical report of Kalra by the MS of the hospital.

LONDON (PTI): Indian coach Kapil Dev on Tuesday called for cricket governing bodies to sack any player found guilty of betting or match-fixing and said he was never approached or tempted by bookies to rig a match.

“It never ever happened. No one has ever approached me,” Kapil Dev said when asked by reporters here whether he was ever approached by bookies.

“The affair should be cleaned up and in this process if somebody has to be penalised, one should not hesitate,” he said.

Asked to comment on the Cronje episode, Kapil Dev said initially he could not believe it. “I was totally stunned for quite some time,” he said.

“Somebody has to be sacrificed to clean up sports,” he said supporting action against all those found guilty in the case registered by the Delhi police.