Spot fixing: IPL is den for gambling with lots of black money, says Yashwant Sinha

NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today said that the controversy-ridden Indian Premier League was nothing but a den for gambling where lots of black money were involved.

Sinha said that a report prepared by the Standing Committee on Finance, which he is heading, had pointed out financial irregularities and involvement of black money in the tournament, but the government had not acted pro-actively to stop these illegal activities.

"The Committee looked into the aspect of money laundering and involvement of illegal black money in the IPL. We called the officials of BCCI, Finance Ministry, RBI and tax officials and we came to the conclusion that lots of black money were involved in the IPL," he said.

"We prepared a report on how the laws are being violated and how the black money were brought into the IPL teams through various routes. But government had not acted as pro-actively as it should have been to stop these irregularities," he added.

"IPL is nothing but a den of gambling. There is less of cricket and more of gambling in the IPL. Spot fixing or match fixing does not appear to be confined to a few players or bookies. It appears to be a widespread net and these spot-fixing or match-fixing must have happened in the past years also," Sinha, also life president of All India Tennis Association, told 'Times Now'.

He slammed the BCCI for not regulating cricket properly and said that stringent action should be taken up against anybody found guilty howsoever powerful he may be.
Mumbai police has also got into the act and have seized laptop of Sreesanth, mobiles and other material. "We do not need any of the material seized by Mumbai Police so far but in case a need arises, they would be approached formally," the Police Commissioner said.

Asked whether Mumbai and Delhi Police were at loggerheads and a turf war was underway over the issue, Kumar said, "not at all. At some stage if there is a need for any collaboration, it will be done."

Kumar, who has investigated cases like 1993 Bombay blast case, American Center attack and subsequent deportation of Aftab Ansari from Gulf, Parliament attack case, Stock scam involving Ketan Parekh, said this case was more of a "pain and anguish for him as millions of countrymen were betrayed."

"The cricket players (arrested) have a remorse about what they have done," he said but added that questioning of bookies was a task similar to dealing with hardened economic offenders. Asked whether the probe at any point was leading to any team management, Kumar said "there is nothing of that sort as of now."

To a question about the cooperation being sought by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the police Commissioner said, "We will be sharing our findings with them that can help them in their own probe and in deciding the future of the players."