Arrested cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and two bookies were on Sunday remanded in police custody for two more days by a city court in connection with the IPl spot-fixing scandal case.
Metropolitan Magistrate Anuj Aggrawal sent Sreesanth, Chandila, bookies Chandresh Patel and Ashwani to police custody till May 28 after the police said their custodial interrogation was required to unearth the entire conspiracy. The court, however, rejected the police's plea seeking two more days of interrogation of Babu Rao Yadav, a former Ranji player, and remanded him to judicial custody till June 4.
Besides these five accused, cricketer Ankit Chavan and three more bookies — Jiju Janardhan, Deepak Kumar and Manan Bhat — were also sent to judicial custody till June 4 after the police said they were no more required for any further custodial interrogation. These nine accused were produced before the court after expiry of their five days of police custody.
The police have so far arrested 19 accused in connection with the case. Besides these nine accused, who were produced before the court, arrested bookie Mohd Yahya is presently in police custody while other nine accused are in judicial custody till June 4.
Seeking extension of Sreesanth's custody, Public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan said that they need to interrogate him about the whereabouts of one Abhishek Shukla whose name has cropped up during his interrogation. Advocate Vishal, who appeared for Sreesanth, opposed the police’s plea saying the cricketer has been in their custody for the last 10 days and police have nothing more to interrogate.
Seeking Chandila’s custody, the police said his name has come up in majority of the conversations between the accused players and bookies and he has played a widespread role in the entire conspiracy.
Seeking police custody of bookie Ashwani, the prosecutor said on the basis of his disclosure statement, another bookie Mohd Yahya was arrested and they need to arrest one of their associates Amir, who is a connecting link between the bookies and the Dubai-based underworld. “Amir has a major role in the whole scandal and we want to interrogate Ashwani to know about Amir's whereabouts,” Mohan said.