Crime branch to probe CSK principal's links with Vindoo; court remands him in police custody till May 29.
Gurunath Meiyappan, the son-in-law of BCCI chief N Srinivasan, was produced in the court on Saturday and remanded in police custody till May 29. Police said he will be subjected to a voice sample test and will be brought face-to-face with Vindoo Dara Singh, who is already in police custody. A previous recording of a conversation purportedly between the two will be analysed through voice tests to corroborate if the conversation was indeed between the arrested duo.
An officer of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch said the recording would be further analysed to glean any information regarding betting. Officers said the high-profile principal of the Chennai Super Kings team used as many as eight cellphones, four of which are still to be seized. They allege that not only were these phones used for placing bets but the SIM cards in two of these phones were obtained using forged documents.
Meiyappan’s was arrested on Friday night after he flew into Mumbai on a chartered flight.
His arrest came after Vindoo, who was arrested earlier this week, took his name.
Meiyappan and Vindoo reportedly know each other since over two years. Meiyappan placed bets through Vindoo as doing it himself could have jeopardised his position.
However, Meiyappan has reportedly told investigators that he had in fact been used by Vindoo to get information on team players. “He told us that he doubted Vindoo’s intentions since the beginning but received confirmation only after his arrest,” the officer said.
“So far we have ascertained that Meiyappan used to place large bets. It has also been ascertained that he had been betting earlier also, not just in the ongoing IPL-6. However, we are now trying to ascertain how many more people are involved,” said a crime branch officer. Crime branch sources said that Gurunath had placed bets on nine occasions which meant nine matches out of which he lost in five and won four. He has placed a bet of Rs10 lakhs on a Chennai match but the team lost. The bets he placed were usually between Rs10-15lakh. Though the investigation of this particular case concentrates on the ongoing IPL season, the crime branch sleuths said that they would also go into the details of the earlier seasons if needed.
Earlier on Saturday, Meiyappan’s lawyer Abad Ponda contended that as his client had responded to the police summons and appeared before the police for investigations, the arrest was illegal. All the offenses mentioned in the police’s application for remand are bailable offences including gambling, cheating etc, argued Ponda, adding that there was no mention of spot fixing or match fixing.
Why the need for custody?
The four phones used by him for placing bets have not yet been recovered.
Some of the phones used by him for betting purposes were on his name but the SIM cards had been allegedly acquired using forged documents.
It has to be ascertained whether he used anybody else to place bets apart from Vindoo Dara Singh.
To check whether he used his position as the team principal to give information about his players to the bookies to be used while placing bets.
To ascertain the financial relation between him and Vindoo.
To bring both him and Vindoo face-to-face.
To get information and whereabouts of the accused wanted in the case.
To probe his relation with Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf.
To conduct voice samplings.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}