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On May 16, 2013, Indian cricket was rocked by one of the biggest controversies in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after three Rajasthan Royals players, S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, and Ankeet Chavan, were arrested by Delhi Police on charges related to spot-fixing during the sixth edition of the IPL.
The arrests were made, following an extensive investigation that reportedly began in early April. According to Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, the probe started after authorities received intelligence inputs regarding the involvement of the Mumbai underworld in cricket corruption. Investigators monitored conversations and movements linked to illegal bookmakers before finally moving in on the players after the alleged fixing incidents had taken place.
The three Rajasthan Royals bowlers were accused of deliberately conceding a pre-decided number of runs in specific overs during IPL matches in exchange for large sums of money from bookmakers. Reports suggested that the players were promised payments ranging from approximately USD 36,000 to over USD 100,000 per over.
Police identified three IPL matches in which the alleged spot-fixing took place, against Pune Warriors India on May 5, Punjab Kings on May 9, and Mumbai Indians on May 15.
Ajit Chandila was accused of agreeing to concede at least 14 runs in his second over against Pune Warriors India. However, according to investigators, Chandila failed to provide the agreed signal to bookmakers before the over. Police claimed that after the match, bookmakers confronted him and demanded the return of an advance payment of Rs 20 lakh.
Sreesanth’s alleged fixing incident occurred during Rajasthan Royals’ clash against Kings XI Punjab on May 9. Delhi Police stated that his pre-arranged signal involved asking for a towel and tucking it into his trousers before bowling the designated over. Investigators also alleged that Sreesanth deliberately delayed the over by performing additional warm-up exercises, giving bookmakers more time to place bets.
Police claimed Sreesanth had agreed to concede 14 runs in that over and eventually gave away 13. Authorities maintained that bookmakers usually kept a small margin to account for unpredictable match situations. He was allegedly promised Rs 40 lakh for the act and notably did not bowl another over in the game.
Ankeet Chavan was also accused of participating in the fixing operation, with investigators alleging that his agreed signal involved adjusting his wristband before bowling. According to the police, Chandila later contacted a bookmaker after the match and requested that the money intended for Chavan be delivered directly to him instead.
Alongside the three cricketers, Delhi Police arrested 11 bookmakers connected to the operation. One of the alleged middlemen was identified as Jiju Janardhan, described by investigators as a close friend of Sreesanth. All accused individuals were taken into police custody for five days as the investigation intensified.
The police registered cases under Sections 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with cheating, fraud, and criminal conspiracy. Authorities also claimed to possess recordings of tapped phone conversations that detailed the arrangements between the players and bookmakers.
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