With Special Cell widening its net to gather more evidence, interrogation of arrested bookies and cricket players is leading to new revelations. It has now emerged that bookie Chandresh Patel wanted to induce players of Indian Premier league (IPl) teams to indulge in actual spot-fixing as he was not interested in taking chances in bets. Hence, he approached Hyderabad-based bookie Mohammad Yahya, who was involved with many big bookies.
Meanwhile, investigators claimed that Yahya told them he had been in touch with "some more" Indian cricketers for manipulating matches even as investigators did not rule out involvement of foreign players, after Yahya revelations. However, police refused to name them.
Asked whether team owners were involved, the official said “no such thing has surfaced in our investigation.”
A senior official of Delhi Police said that Patel had contacted Yahya to spot-fix matches in the ongoing season of the IPl and had met him through a contact. Patel wanted to earn more money and contact players from teams other than Rajasthan Royals too.
He did not want to take the usual game of chance and wanted to earn more bucks by indulging in match-fixing. Patel also wanted to earn contacts through Yahya. The duo made various plans and Yahya even contacted an Indian player apart from the ones arrested.
"Yahya did not supply women to the players. Nothing with regards to forgery has come up in the interrogation till now. We are not probing any case under the gambling act" said a police officer.
Meanwhile, Sreesanth complained of restlessness. The cell officials got him checked by doctors from AIIMS Trauma Centre, who said it was the heat. However, officers at the Special Cell said "It's a mere rumour. It was just a routine medical check-up of the three players."