IPL spot-fixing case: Bail for Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and 17 others

Bail has been granted by a Delhi court to Indian cricket Bowler Sreesanth and 17 others who had been arrested in connection to spot fixing and betting in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL). The charges by Maharashtra Control Of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused, which were sought by Delhi police were also rejected by the court.

Their passports will be confiscated which will stop their travel abroad, but they are licensed to travel anywhere within the borders of the country. The 17 people include Sreesanth’s close friend and bookie Jiju Janardhan and cricketer Ankeet Chavan. Rajasthan Royal’s right arm off spinner Ajith Chandila didnt apply for a bail.

The arrested members will be released from the Delhi’s Tihar jail tomorrow.

The proceedings went in the favor of the accused as the court ruled that it did not find sufficient evidence to satisfy the charges put forth by MCOCA that the Delhi police had sought the previous week to charge the accused under.

In court, the Delhi police found the going hard as they struggled to justify the charges, which if accepted by the court, would have put Sreesanth and others in a lot of trouble.

The police brought the don Dawood Ibrahim and alleged Pakistani bookie Javed Chotani into the picture by reading out a conversation between the two, in what seemed to be a property deal. They spent most of the day in vain, explaining the alleged underworld connection to betting and spot fixing in cricket.

They also claimed that they had 8 phone numbers given by home ministry, which Dawood allegedly uses. Ibrahim, currently believed to be in Pakistan, tops the list of most wanted men in India.

Dawood Ibrahim and his associate Chotta Shakeel have been named co-accused in the betting and spot-fixing case. Dawood’s gang is believed to be running illegal betting in India and the generated money is pushed out through the hawala system.

The hawala angle is also been investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.