The Hindu : Front Page : Police allege bookie got "tips" from four former cricketers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 12, 2005

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Police allege bookie got "tips" from four former cricketers

Manas Dasgupta

Nayan Mongia denies he had any knowledge of Mehta

AHMEDABAD: Mumbai-based cricket bookie Shobhan Mehta is alleged to have told the Ahmedabad crime branch police about his "links" with some leading Indian and overseas cricket players who no longer represent their countries.

He said he had been getting "tips'' from them about matches for betting through his nationwide syndicate.

Ahmedabad Additional Police Commissioner (Crime Branch) D.G. Vanjhara said Mehta had named former players Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, and Nayan Mongia, the former South African captain, Hansie Cronje who died in a plane crash, and Australian batsman Mark Waugh among those with whom he had "contacts.'' Nayan Mongia has since denied any knowledge of Mehta or his bookies. He said he never knew Mehta or had ever talked to him on phone, nor had ever passed on any tips to anyone.

He said the CBI had already inquired into the charges of match-fixing against him and had given him a "clean chit." He promised to cooperate with the police if it wanted to further investigate into the case in the light of Mehta's alleged "revelations.''

Azharuddin and Jadeja could not be contacted for their comments.

No present player named

Mr. Vanjhara said Mehta had not named any of the present players — national or overseas — as being involved with him.

He said that Mehta — who is believed to have begun his "racket" in 1992 — or his men used to regularly visit the dressing room of the players before or during a match and collect "tips'' on toss, the pitch report, weather conditions, team strategy, composition of the teams, fitness of key players and such other "vital factors affecting the outcome of a match'' to take up betting.

Mr. Vanjhara claimed that Mehta also had links with the alleged Australian bookie Mark Peter and England bookie code-named Black 0365 and his betting network was spread across countries such as Pakistan, Australia and England, besides major cities and other international match-hosting centres in India.

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