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A Delhi Court has recently framed charges against four accused including bookie Sanjeev Chawla and Krishan Kumar of T-Series in a 2000 match-fixing scandal. Chawla was extradited from the UK in the year 2020.
The court said that Chawla had emerged as the mastermind of the cheating. Another accused Man Mohan Khatter is still absconded. This case pertains to match-fixing between India and South Africa's cricket team. The then South African team captain, Hansie Cronje, was also made an accused in this case. However, processes were abetted against him after his death. An FIR was registered in the year 2000 by the crime branch of Delhi police against Hansie Cronje. After an investigation, a charge sheet was filed in the year 2013 against six accused persons. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Neha Priya of Patiala House Court after considering material on record on Thursday framed charges against Rajesh Kalra, Krishan Kumar, Sunil Dara, Sanjeev Chawla and Hansie Cronje. "In this view of the matter, in my considered opinion, there is sufficient material on record to frame charges against Rajesh Kalra alias Rajesh, Krishan Kumar, Sunil Dara alias Bittoo and Sanjeev Chawla alias Sanjay for offence under Section 420 (Cheating) IPC read with Section 120B (Criminal Conspiracy) IPC and for offence under Section 120B IPC. Charges are ordered to be framed accordingly," ACJM ordered on July 11. "Material on record gives rise to grave suspicion against each of them regarding their role in the criminal conspiracy to cheat and dishonestly induce delivery of property from the spectators (named above) and BCCI during the Test matches and One Day International (ODI) cricket matches held in India from 19.02.2000 to 19.03.2000 between South Africa and India," the court held. The court said that the chain of events, record of conversations, conduct and surrounding circumstances demonstrate the complicity of accused Rajesh Kalra, Krishan Kumar and Sunil Dara in the deals struck by accused Sanjeev Chawla with accused Hansie Cronje, and leads to the inference that they were acting in connivance and were co-participants in the main object of fixing cricket matches for monetary gain. The court said that Sanjeev Chawla emerged as the main conspirator and mastermind. "From an appreciation of material on record and the analysis accused Sanjeev Chawla emerges as the main conspirator and the mastermind behind the offence of cheating," the court said in the order. It further said, "He played the most active role and acted as the crucial link between accused. Hansie Cronje and the other accused persons. He engaged in negotiations and conversations with Hansie Cronje to manipulate the result of the matches, involving other team players, deciding the payment for Hansie Cronje and the other players, and constantly following up with Hansie Cronje over calls as well as through personal meetings. He moved around with Hansie Cronje as his shadow for most part of the tournament by staying in the same hotels as Hansie Cronje throughout the tour. Even when he was out of the country, he was in constant touch over the phone." On the role of Krishan Kumar, the court said, "Charge-sheet discloses that accused Krishan Kumar also accompanied accused Sanjeev Chawla to Hotel Taj, Mumbai on 20.02.2000 and booked a room for him using his credit card, wherein accused Sanjeev Chawla and accused Hansie Cronje conspired to fix matches. The statements of hotel staff corroborate the same." "Again, his cell phone was used by accused Sanjeev Chawla at Bangalore and Cochin (on and around match days) for several conversations with him as well as accused Hansie Cronje for discussions relating to match-fixing," the court added. It further said that he also informed accused Rajesh Kalra of the requirement of a cell phone with roaming SIM, which was subsequently procured by accused Rajesh Kalra, handed over to accused Hansie Cronje by accused Sanjeev Chawla and used by accused Hansie Cronje to enter into match-fixing deals with accused Sanjeev Chawla. On the role of accused Rajesh Kalra, the court said that as far as he is concerned, besides the constant telephonic conversations, he is also alleged to have met accused Hansie Cronje along with accused Sanjeev Chawla on 14.03.2000 at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi. The call details corroborate the same. It further said that he is also alleged to have purchased a mobile connection in his name and the same was handed over to accused Hansie Cronje through accused Sanjeev Chawla. The King's Commission Report corroborates the same. The present case came to light during an investigation by the crime branch of an Extortion case. One Rama Kant Gupta alleged that he was receiving extortion calls from Shaheen Haithley of Dubai. The anti-extortion cell of the crime branch was tasked to make efforts to find out whether any Indian nationals were involved with Shaheen Haithely, the extortionist. Investigation revealed that accused Krishan Kumar was in contact with him and further analysis of his CDR revealed that he was in touch with some other persons as well. The said numbers were also kept under observation/surveillance. An analysis of the said mobile intercepts/recordings from 08.03.2000 to 16.03.2000 revealed that the accused persons namely accused no.1, Rajesh Kalra, accused Krishan Kumar, accused Sunil Dara, accused Sanjeev Chawla @ Sanjay and accused Man Mohan Khatter were conspiring to fix the cricket matches being played between India and South Africa in connivance with accused Hansie Cronje (since deceased), the then captain of the South African cricket team. On 06.04.2000, a 'rukka' was sent for registration of the present case, it added. Delhi police was represented by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Manu Sharma along with advocate Arjun Kakkar. Supplementary charge sheets were filed after the extradition of Sanjeev Chawla. The court noted that Herschel Gibbs and Williams were offered bribes. In relation to the 5th One Day International Match at Nagpur (19.03.2000) the court said that From the recorded conversation, it is evident that Hansie Cronje had agreed to fix the score of the match and he had also agreed to fix the individual score of Herschelle Gibbs. He had also spoken to Williams to give more than 50 runs in his 10 overs. Both were promised USD 15000 each. "It was also agreed that if the results came as agreed, then Sanjeev Chawla would pay USD 140,000 to Hansie Cronje. Though the players forgot about the deal in the heat of the game and did not play as per agreed terms, it can be concluded that a serious attempt was made to fix the match," the court noted in the order. (ANI)
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