CBI books 7 persons for alleged match-fixing, betting in IPL 2019

Three suspects, Dileep Kumar, based in Rohini, Delhi, and Gurram Vasu and Gurram Satish from Hyderabad, Sajjan Singh, Prabhu Lal Meena, Ram Avtar and Amit Kumar Sharma, all from Rajasthan, have been  named in two CBI FIRs alleging match-fixing in IPL 2019 matches. The agency’s officials said that the booking took place ‘based on inputs’ from Pakistan and it has started a country-wide probe. 

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IPL was struck with a spot-fixing scandal in 2013, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals involved in the case. Delhi Police arrested three RR players S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan. Mumbai Police arrested Chennai Super Kings Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan, Vindo Dara Singh and Priyank Sepani in a separate case. The two teams suspended all those involved and Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra were banned by BCCI for life from all the matches that will be conducted by the body. CSK and RR also served a two-season ban. 

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Almost a decade later, CBI officials said that they received information that “a network of individuals involved in cricket betting are influencing the outcome of Indian Premer League (IPL) matches based on inputs received from Pakistan.” The network which is operational since 2013 was also cheating the public by “inducing them for betting”, the officials said.

As per the FIR, the racketeers have bank accounts (mule accounts) using fake identities and know your customer documents in connivance with the unknown bank officials. 

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“These bank accounts have been opened by submitting forged details such as multiple dates of birth and without due diligence done by the bank officials.

“A part of the money received from the general public in India on account of such betting activities is also being shared with their associates based in foreign countries using hawala transactions,” the FIR has alleged.