This Article is From Jun 05, 2013

IPL scam: Rajasthan Royals' owner Raj Kundra questioned by Delhi Police for seven hours

IPL scam: Rajasthan Royals' owner Raj Kundra questioned by Delhi Police for seven hours

(Raj Kundra at Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak temple on Tuesday with wife Shilpa Shetty)

New Delhi: Raj Kundra, one of the owners of the Rajasthan Royals IPL franchise, was questioned by the Delhi Police today for nearly seven hours in connection with the betting and spot-fixing scandal that has engulfed Indian cricket. Mr Kundra is married to Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty. The couple had visited Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple last night. (See pictures)

Police sources say Mr Kundra was called in for questioning because of the four owners of the IPL franchise, he was the most involved with the team and had watched all but one match in the recently-concluded sixth season of the Indian Premier League. His friend of 15 years, Umesh Goenka is also being questioned. The sources said Royals cricketer Sidharth Trivedi, who has shared information as an approver in the case, has alleged that Mr Goenka had asked him about the composition of the team and for pitch information.

Mr Kundra was reportedly asked by the police about the ownership pattern of the Rajasthan Royals, three of whose players are under arrest in the case. Mr Kundra has 11.7 per cent shares. The police sources said the businessman did not have information to share on whether any other player from the team could be involved in spot-fixing.

Test cricketer S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila were arrested last month and are accused of having bowled badly in specific overs of the IPL in arrangement with bookies for lakhs of rupees.

Mr Trivedi, who was present during the questioning today, has allegedly told the police that the bookies were in touch with Ajit Chandila and some others who partied with them, and that some foreign cricketers, too, attended these parties.

Mr Kundra was reportedly asked about players being able to mingle with bookies. The Royals owner allegedly said that the franchise tried to prevent it, but players often invited bookies as personal guests to their hotel rooms.

The Delhi Police have arrested 26 people in the case, including the three Royals cricketers, and said yesterday that tough charges would apply against all of them under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), which is usually used against crime syndicates. The police said underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who reportedly lives in Pakistan, and his associate Chhotta Shakeel, controlled the betting, and declared them accused.

All of those arrested deny any wrongdoing.
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