Sports
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has put three IPL matches this season under the scanner, after getting 'big leads' on bookies and match fixing. ED believes many matches in IPL 8 have been fixed, according to a report in the Indian Express.
Updated : Sep 29, 2017, 10:26 PM IST
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has put three IPL matches this season under the scanner, after getting 'big leads' on bookies and match fixing. ED believes many matches in IPL 8 have been fixed, according to a report in the Indian Express.
On Friday, the ED made two more bookie arrests in this regard. The names of the bookies are said to be Mukesh Sharma and Sukvinder Singh Lodhi, from Delhi. Raids were conducted in Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur on Friday. The raids were expected to continue in the next few days.
The Ahmedabad unit of ED arrested the two bookies from New Delhi itself. Another suspect - Anil Jaisinghania - is from Thane and the ED has notified summons after the suspect admitted himself to the hospital. The suspect has been asked by the ED to appear in front of them in Ahmedabad on Monday.
"Bookies across the country were in touch with Sharma and Sodhi. We have learnt that the betting amount is remitted out of the country through hawala channels through these two accused," said an official to Indian Express. The ED’s suspicion that matches may have been fixed arises from the information they have about Jaisinghania’s alleged operations and from the pattern of bets allegedly placed by Sharma and Sodhi.
In Jaipur however, two people have reportedly evaded arrest.
The report also says that the ED findings aren't yet known to the BCCI or IPL officials. IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla told The Indian Express that the ED is yet to inform the league of its findings, and said that they would cooperate with the directorate if needed. “We haven’t heard anything from ED yet,” IPL chief Shukla said to the newspaper. “As per procedure, they (ED) will get in touch with our ACSU (Anti-Corruption and Security Unit) if they needs any details. The ACSU doesn’t come under IPL governing council, it reports directly to the BCCI President. If the ED seeks anything from BCCI, we will fully cooperate,” he added.
Several documents and links have been found by the ED and that has served as clues in terms of the arrests made. A network of betting is also being investigated.
Over the past month, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had unearthed a massive betting and money laundering racket after a series of raid in several cities across India.
Five bookies had been arrested under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Soon after that two men arrested by the Enforcement Directorate for running a hawala racket and betting syndicate related to IPL were taken to Ahmedabad.
ED sources had also indicated that bets ranging from Rs 600 to 800 crore were being placed on every match in the ongoing season of the IPL.