M A I N   N E W S

CBI to summon 3 ex-skippers

NEW DELHI, June 25 (PTI) — The CBI will be soon summoning at least three former cricket captains in the ongoing match-fixing scandal even as the agency was planning to register another enquiry in the allotment of telecast rights, agency sources said here today.

The sources said after the deposition of former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin, the agency was now planning to issue summons to more players including three former captains in this connection.

In his deposition, Azharuddin denied all allegations levelled against him by disgraced South African captain Hansie Cronje and told the investigators that he was never involved in match-fixing.

He also denied having knowledge about Mukesh Gupta alias “MK” who Cronje said was introduced to him by Azhar.

The CBI plans to call other officials of the Board for Control of Cricket in India to depose before the agency’s special crime branch before arriving at a conclusion whether to file a regular case or not.

Meanwhile, efforts were on to trace Mukesh Gupta, a jeweller in upmarket here.

In a related development, the agency was planning to register another preliminary enquiry to probe the alleged bunglings in telecast rights of cricket matches, the agency sources said.

The CBI had procured Gupta’s photograph from his father, Mr K.L. Gupta, apparently to circulate among agency’s various offices to prevent him from going abroad.

Asked whether he was the same man as named by Cronje, the agency sources said his absence even after the raid and contradictory statements issued by his father hinted that the agency was moving in the right direction.

They said despite the fact that there were nearly five dozen Mukesh Guptas listed in the telephone directory, the agency sleuths pinned him as he was only a clerk in a bank before becoming a jeweller.

The Guptas are said to be the first generation businessmen with a jewellery shop here and a residence in posh South Delhi locality.

Gupta is alleged to be a key-player in the match-fixing scandal in which Cronje had admitted having received $ 80,000 in two instalments.

Cronje had alleged that Mukesh Gupta also known as “MK” was introduced to him by Azharuddin and that Gupta gave him money during 1996 Kanpur cricket Test against India.

Meanwhile, Income Tax authorities said they were probing the sudden financial rise of Gupta and his returns would be scrutinised.

It authorities have also begun investigations into records and returns of leading cricketers and officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) whose names surfaced during the on-going match-fixing controversy, the sources said.

The sources said returns and records of three players hailing from northern region, two from Mumbai and one from Hyderabad and a BCCI official from Calcutta were being scrutinised by the IT officials.