Kundra's counsel Majeed Memon tells Deba Prasad Dhar that RR co-owner can't be implicated without evidence.
Raj Kundra claims he’s innocent. But Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar is on record saying that Kundra had confessed to betting.
What Neeraj Kumar has said can’t be accepted because his statements are not supported with corroborative material like when and how did Raj bet. We can’t slap him under the bailable offence of gambling act. Legally we can’t arrest him.
But Neeraj Kumar is not obliged to disclose every bit of information that he has...
So you are assuming that there is material which hasn’t been divulged, and so Raj must be held guilty and be punished. This is exactly what the BCCI has done.
The commissioner has also said that Kundra would place bets through his friend and business associate, Umesh Goenka, apparently a bookie.
Has Goenka been charged under any section?
Again, I would ask the same question. If the commissioner or any hallowed man is talking in the air to the media and sharing gossip, where is the substance?
Why hasn’t he arrested Goenka?
Gurunath Meiyappan was charged, arrested and denied bail, but no action has been taken against the Chennai Super Kings.
Why different yardsticks for two people?
I’ve also said that if you must suspend someone, you should give him an opportunity to explain his side of the matter, or issue him a showcause notice. You ask him why he shouldn’t be suspended. But you didn’t do that. You are unilaterally pronouncing a judgment.
Neeraj was grilled during a chat on telly. I was invited as one of the guests. He was repeatedly asked why Raj wasn’t arrested. He had to defend himself, and he admitted that he had no acceptable evidence.
Are you saying Kundra wasn’t involved at all?
That is what he told me. Why don’t you check with him? We have to understand what is betting. Let’s assume Pakistan are playing the West Indies in the Champions Trophy. I tell my wife that the West Indies will win. If they lose, I promise to treat my wife and 20 of her best friends to dinner. We agree that she will treat me if the West Indies win. Is this an offence? Let me give a hypothetical example, don’t misunderstand. Let’s imagine Raj tells Shilpa (Shetty) that the Royals need a lift of morale. They tell the boys that they have a special eye on their match against, let’s say, Chennai. They announce an incentive. If RR win, each player gets a bonus of Rs 5 lakh. And part of their income will be deducted if they lose. Is this a breach?
Is it so innocent — husband and wife betting? Here we are talking about crores of rupees that may have been exchanged.
True. All I’m saying is assuming he had done something. He insists that he has done no wrong. And don’t forget it is alleged that he lost lakhs in betting. That gives him a clean certificate of innocence as it had earlier surfaced that the team had three black sheep. They are being prosecuted under the MCOCA. So if he bet on his boys, and if they have let him down, then he is a victim and should be the complainant.
Your next move?
I’m not in possession of the suspension order. I’ll react only when I read it.
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