Stating that the order sheet was not prepared yet, a lower court in the city deferred the framing of charges against those accused in the controversial IPL spot fixing case until July 25.
The accused include suspended cricketers S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and some others. It also includes notorious underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel.
Additional sessions Judge Neena Bansal Krishna had originally scheduled to pass the order on Monday. She said that clarifications, if any, will be sought in the next date of hearing.
There are a total of 42 accused in the case, out of which six have been reported as absconding, according to the Delhi police.
The matter had come up for hearing in May and the court had reserved its order, asking the counsel for the accused to file written submissions. The court had also remarked that the police investigations into the case showed no prima-facie evidence that match-fixing had actually taken place.
The counsels for the accused had also put forth the lack of prima-facie evidence as an argument.
PTI adds:
The court had earlier declared Dawood and Shakeel as proclaimed offenders as they are evading arrest in the matter. Police had told the court that properties of Dawood and Shakeel in Mumbai have already been attached in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and that they have not visited India since 1993. Police had also informed the court that Dawood had properties in his name at Dongri in Mumbai whereas Shakeel owned properties in Nagpada there.
The court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against Dawood and Shakeel, Pakistan-based Javed Chutani, Salman alias Master and Ehteysham, who all are considered to be Dawood’s associates.
The court had granted bail to Sreesanth, Chavan and various others accused for lack of evidence against them under the provisions of stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Other accused, including Chandila, were also granted bail later on by the court.
The police had filed a 6,000-page charge sheet against various accused in the case. It had also filed supplementary charge sheet later on.
The police, in its charge sheet, had claimed that Dawood and Shakeel, who have been “controlling the fixing and betting market” in cricket in India, were behind IPL spot-fixing.
