Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf has been dropped from the ICC Champions Trophy which is scheduled to be played at England in June following reports that he was under investigation by the Mumbai police in lines with the scandal of spot-fixing.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson disclosed in a statement that in the wake of reports that the Mumbai Police are conducting in an investigation into Asad Rauf’s activities, they consider that it is in Asad’s best interests and those of the sport plus the event itself, that he is pulled out from participating in the ICC Champions Trophy.
To everyone’s surprise, Asad Rauf is the first umpire to be accused in the spot-fixing scandal in India. Seven current and past cricketers and several bookies have been convicted so far by the Mumbai and Delhi police. According to police sources Rauf had been in contact with some bookies and Vindoo Dara Singh.
BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty conversed with Mumbai Joint CP Himanshu Roy regarding IPL spot-fixing issue. Shetty assured that they will help Mumbai Police with the inquiry.
Mumbai Police has issued summons to the Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan on Thursday to make himself available for questioning in the current investigation against spot-fixing in cricket. Meiyappan, who was no where to be found, has contacted the Mumbai Police via fax on Thursday late in the evening requesting for time while assuring he will make himself available before the crime branch on Monday. Previously, Meiyappan was summoned by the Mumbai police to appear before the crime branch between 11 am and 5 pm on Friday in Mumbai.
A Mumbai Police team landed in Chennai to question Meiyappan on Thursday, who is also the son-in-law of BCCI chief and Chennai Super Kings owner N Srinivasan. In a sequence of drama this noon when a group of media persons assembled outside the Meiyappan residence, the gates were not opened to allow in the policemen who were present to meet Meiyappan.
Meiyappan emerged in the spotlight as arrested Bollywood actor Vindoo Dara Singh has allegedly claimed that he had placed bets on Meiyappan's behalf in the ongoing IPL. Vindoo has also confessed to the police that he not only placed bets but also aided others in Bollywood in placing bets with the bookies he knew.
A crime branch official disclosed that more than 100 phone calls and text messages exchanged were all during Chennai's IPL matches. Vindoo claimed that he met numerous Chennai Super King players through Meiyappan. It has been reported that Mumbai Police have specifically been asked to check out the content of Meiyappan's mobile phone as they want to confirm if he had diverted any team strategy to Vindoo.
In addition, Vindoo has also confessed to the police that he had gone to watch a T20 league match in Chennai at an invitation from Meiyappan. Vindoo was spotted seated next to the wife of CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sakshi during that match last month. A senior crime branch officer however confirmed that they had no plans to interrogate Sakshi.
