Mumbai, Some Indian cricketers allegedly demand sex to fix a game,
reveals this India Today investigation. London-based The Sunday Times
claim on March 12 that small-time actor Nupur Mehta was used to offer
cricketers money to throw matches has once again raised spectre of
match-fixing. Mehta denies allegations that she was used to fix
big-ticket India, Pakistan semi-final match at Mohali during 2011 World
Cup. “I don’t know any cricketer personally and I was at my home on the
day match was played,” she says. But other Bollywood starlets aren’t
cagey about having been approached to reach out to Team India and
cricketers of other countries, source cricket.com.pk
Liza Malik, 25, says a UK-based bookie offered her Rs 50 lakh to put
him in touch with a leading Indian cricketer during IPL-4 in May 2011.
Cricketer was her partner on a TV reality show that she participated in.
Malik was also a regular at IPL after-parties. The bookie, who
introduced himself as Razzak, thought she could be a conduit to the
cricketer.
“I was shooting in Thailand in May last year for an advertisement
when Razzak started calling. He wanted me to arrange a meeting with
cricketer. He offered me Rs 50 lakh but I refused,” Malik says. “When I
was rude with him he threatened me,” she adds. Malik filed a complaint
with Oshiwara Police Station in Mumbai in May 2011. Her complaint was
never taken up.
India Today spoke with prominent bookies in and around Mumbai to
assess seriousness of allegations. Bookies allege cricketers from
Pakistan, Sri Lanka & West Indies opt for match-fixing because they
are not paid much by their respective boards. Pakistani cricketers can
be fixed for Rs 50 lakh whereas amount goes up to Rs 10 crore per match
when it comes to Indian cricketers.
Indian cricketers often demand sex with beautiful women instead of
money. A top bookie from Thane, Mumbai, says almost 80 per cent matches
in second and fourth season of IPL were fixed. He says a right-hand
spinner, a left-hand batsman, a left-hand medium pacer and an
all-rounder were “mostly interested in physical contact with models
during IPL-4.”
Another bookie disagrees and says Indian players’ involvement in
fixing is less than players of other countries as they earn huge money
through endorsements. Also, not everyone sells out. “No bookie can dare
approach top players like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid and
Virender Sehwag due to their integrity. Some newcomers are also honest,”
he says.
Another reveals relations between an Ulhasnagar-based bookie Deepak
Narayani alias Deepu Balaji’s and a “heavyweight” cricketer from Mumbai.
“Balaji and cricketer were allegedly involved in fixing three one-day
international matches three years ago.” Narayani, who was arrested in
2002 and 2008 by Ulhasnagar police on betting charges, says cases are
false.
During trial of Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif in London in
October 2011, public prosecutor informed court that betting on cricket
in Asia was worth $40 billion (Rs2,000 crore). In Mumbai, a major centre
for betting, around 10 bookies run the business, with most of them
operating from outside India.
Ulhasnagar, a small town near Mumbai, emerged as a major betting
centre over past few years. Sources say an Ulhasnagar resident known
only as Jaggi is a prominent name in betting syndicate. Pawan Chikki
from Ghodbunder Road & Praful Katchchi from Dombivali operate in
Thane. Some bookies are active in temple town Shirdi.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Amar Jadhav, who busted a betting
racket in 2010, says bookies in Mumbai also exploit Indian students in
UK. “Betting in sport is legal in UK but one has to have a local bank
account to operate it. Hence, bookies access bank accounts of Indian
students studying in UK. They pay them Rs 50,000 per month and use their
bank account to route hawala transactions,” he says. Whether there is
any truth to Mehta story or not, gentleman’s game has suffered yet
another body blow to its reputation.
