Why should Crime Branch share its findings before a non-judicial panel investigating the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal, it asks, even as BCCI's two-member inquiry panel clears CSK's name from the controversy

Less than two months after the BCCI's stubborn head had to be ousted from the Board after his son-in-law and CSK team principal Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested in the IPL-6 spot fixing scandal, a two-member probe panel yesterday gave them a clean chit.

The absolution for the scandal-hit Chennai Super Kings honchos -- Srinivasan owns the franchise -- came after the Mumbai Crime Branch refused to depose before the inquiry committee, saying it wasn't required by law to present any evidence before a panel not judicially constituted.

An officer from the Crime Branch said, `About two weeks ago, we received a letter from the BCCI asking the investigating officer to appear before the two-member panel comprising former judges T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian. BCCI is a private body and we are not bound to submit our confidential evidence before any other inquiry panel, unless it is formed by the court.`


Hence, in response to the BCCI's letter, the Mumbai Crime Branch officials wrote back demanding to know the provisions that make it mandatory for them to submit the evidence. `The BCCI did not respond to our letter since then. It is a sensitive case,` the officer said.

Sources revealed that the Crime Branch fears that if it submits the report to the BCCI, there are chances that it might get leaked to Meiyappan who would exploit it in the court to his benefit.

Responding to the panel's verdict, Joint CP (Crime) Himanshu Roy said, `We have enough evidence against Meiyappan to nail him in the court of law.` Retorting to the Board's accusation that Branch officials were not cooperating in its investigations, Roy said, `There is no question of not cooperating in this case. An officer who investigates criminal cases under the CrPC is answerable only to the court.`

Background


Meiyappan, the 35-year-old boss of IPL team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Srinivasan's son-in-law, was arrested on May 25 for his alleged involvement in the IPL betting scandal. He was in the eye of a storm after actor Vindu Dara Singh, arrested three days before for his alleged links with bookies, admitted to having placed bets on his behalf.