The three cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan — arrested in the IPl spot fixing case may have to spend more days in police custody. The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Sunday said it would seek extension of their police remand before a city court on Tuesday when their five-day remand expires.
Officials said they also want further custody of two bookies, Chandresh alias Chand bhai and Ashwini alias Tinku Mandi. Officials said their custodial interrogation was required to ascertain the source of money allegedly received by the cricketers for indulging in spot fixing and they wanted to take all the arrested players to Mumbai, Chandigarh, Kochi, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
“After the sustained interrogation of the three accused players, we came to know that Sreesanth was about to complete the construction of his house in Kochi in September and he had invested some money in it also,” sources added.
The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police might also seek Sreesanth's custody for interrogation. Police sources said that the telephonic conversation intercepted by the sleuths of the Special Cell suggested that bookies had betted on some other players also and to ascertain their names and unearth the conspiracy, Delhi Police have to arrest more bookies and spot-fixers.
“Arrested bookies have disclosed the names of other bookies and on their instances, now several raids are being conducting in other parts of the country. Fresh arrests are expected in coming days,” police sources said.
Investigators have already found a telephonic conversation between Chandila and his wife. During the conversation with his wife, he claimed that a man would come home to drop some money. The cricketer asked his wife to mind her own business when she asked how he got so much money.
Chandila had bought a pair of jeans and a watch worth Rs 2.5 lakh. He was learnt to have bought gadgets and thrown parties with the money paid to him by the bookies.
“We are trying to get the CCTV footage from shops where Chandila spent money to buy things. Once we get that footage, it will be considered evidence as well,” the sources added. Earlier, the public prosecutor told the court that several other matches in the IPl were also fixed and the accused will be interrogated regarding that also.