Six new players, five more IPL teams on Delhi police radar

On the day the UPA government ruled out interference with the BCCI unless it ‘becomes absolutely necessary’, the names of six more players alleged involved in spot-fixing on the directions of bookies who in turn are connected to D-company, cropped up. 

A highly-placed source in the special cell of the Delhi police has shared the names of the ‘guilty’ players with Millennium Post, but the names are being withheld on request. The source said: ‘We are collecting necessary evidence against all six players. One of them is a star batsman, the others are bowlers.’

According to the source, the IPL teams whose players are involved in spot-fixing are Mumbai Indians (IPL 6 winner), Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals. The source said: ‘There are two players from Royal Challengers who were active in spot-fxing in IPL 6. However, from the remaining team one player each is involved.’ 

‘Several raids are being conducted to gather evidence against all six. We are keeping an eye on them,’ the source added.

Meanwhile, former India captain Ravi Shastri and board treasurer Ajay Shrike are likely to be among the three-member commission set up by the BCCI to investigate Chennai Super Kings chief executive Gurunath Meiyappan’s alleged involvement in the spot-fixing scandal. Besides Shirke and Shastri, who is also a member of the IPL governing council, the other member on the commission will be a retired judge of a high court, a top BCCI official said.

The names of BCCI senior vice president Arun Jaitley, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla and BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale were also doing the rounds to be members of the commission.

BCCI president N Srinivasan, whose son-in-law is Gurunath, announced setting up the probe panel Sunday and also assured a fair investigation. Srinivasan said that he will have no role in setting up or the working of the commission.