New Delhi: Several Indian cricket stars of yesteryears could be in trouble as Delhi Police extradites Sanjeev Chawla, the alleged mastermind of match-fixing case involving former South African captain late Hansie Cronje, from London on Thursday.
Chawla, a British national as per Delhi police charge sheet, absconding hitherto in the match fixing case, was linked with several international cricketers, including Indian players, sources in the crime branch of the Delhi Police revealed.
Dossier prepared on Sanjeev Chawla by Crime Branch reveals that several Indian cricketers were frequenting his bungalow in London and their phone numbers figured on Chawla's phone list in Call Data Records (CDRs) recovered by police for the period of January to March 2000.
It was during period this period (February-March 2000) when conspiracy to fix matches was unearthed during India-South Africa series played in India. "As Chawla had slipped to London, he could not be interrogated and subsequently the CDRs connecting the then Indian cricketers with the global bookie was not pursued," a former commissioner of Delhi police said.
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Crime Branch has also gathered documents from Scotland Yard, whose sleuths arrested Chawla in 2001 in another betting scandal involving English players. On the basis of a statement of former England all rounder Chris Lewis who alleged that Chawla had offered bribe to the then England Captain Alec Stewart to under perform in matches, the Scotland Yard questioned Chawla and a prominent Indian sports promoter.
During investigation it was revealed that several players from India, Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa were in touch with Chawla and many visited bookie's restaurant.
(IANS report)
