Dismissing reports suggesting there was ‘one-upmanship’ or ‘competition’ between the Mumbai police and Delhi Police in the investigation of spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil said the two teams were cooperating with each other to uncover the truth.“Reports that have surfaced about this so-called lack of coordination are simply not true,” Mr. Patil told reporters here.
Mr. Patil sought to quash any aspersions cast on the efficiency of the Mumbai police: “The Mumbai police are always efficient and alert. Remember that they were the ones who first nabbed the hawala racketeer Ramesh Vyas.”
Mr. Patil also dismissed reports that a Marathi actor was used as a “honeytrap” in spot-fixing.
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police had arrested Rajasthan Royals cricketers S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan from Mumbai on the night of May 15 for indulging in spot-fixing in at least three IPL matches.
The Mumbai Crime Branch arrested bookies Ramesh Vyas, Pandurang Kadam and Ashok Vyas a day before the arrest of Sreesanth and his colleagues. It had conducted searches at the hotel room where Sreesanth and his close friend Jiju Janardhan (who was allegedly said to be in touch with bookies on behalf of the cricketer) were reported to have stayed.
