New Delhi | Jagran Sports Desk: Bookie Sanjeev Chawla, who was brought back to India from England earlier this year, has reportedly made a sensational revelation and said that “no cricket match is fairly played”, adding that “all the cricket matches which people see are fixed”.
According to a report published in The Indian Express, Chawla – who is the prime accused in the 2000 Hansie Cronje match-fixing case – has told the Delhi Police that a “a very big syndicate and underworld mafia” influences all games and they are like “movies which are already being directed by someone”.
The London-based bookie said that he could not give more details as “a very big syndicate and underworld mafia is involved in this matter and they are dangerous people and if he says anything they will get him killed”.
He further revealed that that the underworld mafia had on its target the case’s investigation officer DCP (Crime Branch) Dr G Ram Gopal Naik, adding that his life was under threat, reported The Indian Express.
The Delhi Police, however, is yet to make a statement on this and said that Chawla is very non-cooperative which is creating problems in the investigation.
“Since the matter is still under investigation, we may not be able to share any intricate details,” The Indian Express quoted Special CP (Crime) Praveer Ranjan as saying.
Sanjeev Chawla is the alleged bookie and key accused in one of the cricket's biggest match-fixing scandals that involved former South African captain Hansie Cronje. He was extradited from London in February.
Chawla, who was born in Delhi, was alleged to have played a central role in conspiring with Cronje to fix a South African tour to India in February-March, 2000. The British court documents say that Chawla is a Delhi-born businessman who moved to the United Kingdom on a business visa in 1996 and continued to make trips to India.