Dhoni to be questioned after CT
SOURCE: WWW.CRICKET.YAHOO.COM
Interim president Jagmohan Dalmiya has assured the media that BCCI will not "cover up" the MS Dhoni conflict of interest issue, and that it was in everybody's best interests to not disrupt the national team's focus in the ongoing Champions Trophy in England.
Dalmiya also said a working committee will be appointed to look into the involvement of Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra in betting activities.
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Dalmiya stated that there would be a BCCI meeting on June 10 to discuss the Kundra issue and action will be taken based on available evidence.
"Let us wait for some more time. I can assure you that we will not curtail the enquiry," he added.
New BCCI secretary and treasurer
The BCCI has appointed Sanjay Patel and T Venkatesh to the posts of its secretary and treasurer respectively.
This follows the recent resignations of Sanjay Jagdale and Ajay Shirke who had opted out of the organizational body in protest of its inner machinations that sough to retain the control of N. Srinivasan, even after an outcry against the former BCCI president's son-in-law's involvement in the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal.
Interim president Jagmohan Dalmiya had earlier given '24 hours' to Shirke to respond and said that he would come to the decision of reappointment to said posts in a few days.
BCCI plan to ban Kundra
The Board is contemplating slapping Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra with a ban after he admitted to betting on IPL matches to Delhi Police. It was also reported that the Board was moving towards banning the three main spot-fixing accused - Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - from any participation in the sport.
Kunda also told the police that he had been placing IPL bets for the last three years and that he also bet on teams other than his own. This also puts the Rajasthan Royals franchise under threat, since any owner-related activity that sullies the spirit of cricket stands to be annulled.
Kundra implicated
Rajasthan Royals co-owners Raj Kundra and his wife actor Shilpa Shetty have admitted to betting in the Indian Premier League for the last two-three years, media reports mentioned the Delhi Police sources as saying.
According to a NDTV report, Delhi Police sources who interrogated the businessman, have asked him to surrender his passport.
Speaking to Times Now, Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar said,"Raj Kundra used to place bets on his team and suffered losses. The bets were placed through Umesh Goenka".
"Kundra was called because we got to know he was involved in betting. Kundra admitted that he was into betting."
Kumar added that Kundra placed bets on matches of his team Rajasthan through his business partner Umesh Goenka, who the police described as a bookie. The police said Kundra suffered huge losses due to betting.
Kumar said the fact that Kundra is a British national doesn't affect the investigation into the case. Kundra was on Wednesday allowed to leave for Mumbai only after surrendering his passport to the Delhi Police. Kundra has been asked not to leave the country.
However, sources in the Delhi Police told CNN-IBN they are unlikely to arrest Kundra if they fail to find links with spot-fixing.
Siddharth Trivedi, a Rajasthan Royals player who has turned approver in the spot-fixing case has told the police that he was approached by Goenka, Kundra’s business partner during a IPL match in Ahmedabad. The cops want to know if Kundra was aware of this incident, and of the reported links between bookies and some of his team-members, NDTV reported.
"As Kundra is part of our investigations, he has been told not to leave the country and hand over his passport," a senior officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Kundra was questioned by police for 10 hours on Wednesday. CNN-IBN said that the police found some of Kundra's answers to be inconsistent and that he may be questioned again.
So far, three players from his Rajasthan team have been arrested over allegations of spot-fixing during the sixth edition of the cash-rich Twenty20 IPL tournament.
"He is basically found involved in betting and we have not yet been able to connect him to (spot) fixing," the investigator said as police quizzed Kundra in New Delhi.
Police are unlikely to book Kundra under India's anti-gambling law which is a bailable offence.
"We don't want to lose focus from our main investigation into the involvement of crime syndicates" in the IPL, the officer said in an interview.
Zee TV reports that it was Umesh Goenka, who revealed that Kundra was engaged in betting. Under BCCI rules, Kundra can be suspended for a period of two-five years.
Kundra's wife, Shilpa Shetty lashed out on Twitter, "Really upset with the media fr casting aspersions without any proof,making derogatory statements..Uncalled for and will not be tolerated.:("
"STOP PRESS" literally!Getting on my nerves to c to wht extent the press wud go to make Headlines!Its annoying n distressing fr family..", she said in a previous tweet.
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