Honey, we ain't bet-fellows  Charges fly at Raj & Shilpa

IMRAN AHMED SIDDIQUI

New Delhi, June 6: Delhi police today claimed that Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra had admitted to betting on IPL matches for the past three seasons but clarified that there were no spot-fixing charges against him so far. They said Kundra's business partner, friend and alleged bookie Umesh Goenka had claimed that Kundra's wife Shilpa Shetty too had placed a lone bet during this year's IPL — an allegation the actress has denied on Twitter. (See chart) Officers acknowledged that Kundra's purported confession during Wednesday's police questioning was inadmissible in court as it had not been made before a magistrate. However, Goenka's statement implicating both Kundra and Shilpa was recorded in a Delhi court on Tuesday, which means it could become a matter of his word against the couple's. An officer said a conviction for gambling or betting is possible only if the police can establish in court that they caught the accused red-handed while placing a bet and produce the seized cash, or at least furnish incriminating phone call details and trace the money trail. "It's difficult to seek conviction just on the basis of somebody's statement," he said, adding that betting was a relatively "minor offence" and the police were focused on the more serious charge of spot-fixing brought against three Royals cricketers and 23 bookies. However, the development will have put the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a fix on a day it would have been celebrating India's win in their Champions Trophy opener against South Africa. (See Sport) Any proof of betting against Kundra will necessitate the immediate termination of the franchise, which will bring the fate of the Chennai Super Kings into question too. Gurunath Meiyappan, arrested and bailed on the charge of betting, is associated with the Super Kings although team officials claim he was just a cricket "enthusiast". Meiyappan is the son-in-law of N. Srinivasan, who has "stepped aside" as BCCI president. In Calcutta, Jagmohan Dalmiya, who heads the interim arrangement in the board, said the Kundra issue would be discussed at the BCCI's scheduled emergency working committee meeting in New Delhi on June 10. Clause 12.3 of the IPL franchise agreements lists circumstances under which the BCCI "may terminate this agreement with immediate effect by written notice". Sub-clause (c) under this clause spells out one of these circumstances: "The franchisee, any franchisee group company and/or any owner acts in any way which has a material adverse effect upon the reputation or standing of the League, BCCI-IPL, BCCI, the franchisee, the team (or any other team in the league) and/or the game of cricket…." S.N. Srivastava, special commissioner (special cell), told The Telegraph the police had seized the passport of Kundra, a British citizen. "Raj Kundra confessed to having placed bets on his team and other teams…. He told us he had been betting for the past three years and claimed to have lost Rs 1 crore," Srivastava said. Police sources said Shilpa too could be called for questioning but not before next week "as we have to verify several other things". Srivastava said the police had sought details of the bank accounts of Kundra and Shilpa to probe any possible link to spot-fixing. If none were found, they would be booked under the Public Gambling Act of 1867, which prescribes a maximum punishment of three months or a fine not exceeding Rs 200, an officer said. "We can book Kundra and his wife for gambling (based on Goenka's statement) straightaway but don't want to do so. Our focus is not on betting, a bailable offence," an officer said. "We want to focus on the 23 arrested bookies' links with Dawood Ibrahim's crime syndicate and on whether Kundra had any such connection." The officer joked that if the police began nabbing people on gambling charges, the number of arrests would rise to 2,600 from the current 26. Goenka had been called for questioning on Tuesday after Royals cricketer Sidharth Trivedi said before a magistrate that Kundra's friend had asked him for pitch and team details before a match, sources said. Kundra was summoned the next day and confronted with Goenka, who had told the police that he placed bets on Kundra's behalf, they added. Kundra, one of four Royals owners, acquired 11.7 per cent stakes in the team three years ago. "He began betting on cricket soon after taking over," an officer alleged. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130607/jsp/frontpage/story_16981163.jsp#.UbHtCNKBlA0