'Ask them who abducted my son and forced him to say things'

Onkar Singh

The father of Mukesh Gupta, Kishan Mohan Lal claims that his son Mukesh Gupta did not give any statement to the Central Bureau of Investigation, and whatever has been said in the CBI report on match-fixing has been fabricated by the investigation agency.

Speaking to rediff.com in his jewellery shop in South Extension, Lal maintained that his son was never involved in match-fixing. "He made all his money through property dealings," he said.

Asked where Mukesh is, he said he is out of Delhi on a business tour. "He has done no wrong and you presswalas should stop harassing us now," he declared.

But if he is innocent why is he evading the press?

"We know what you people do. You write what suits you and you throw away the rest. Lots of journalists came and interviewed me the last time when my son was in the news and not one-third of what I said appeared anywhere," he lamented.

If your son did not make any statements to the CBI then who did it in his place?

"How do I know? Ask them who abducted my son and forced him to say things," he countered.

"My son was born in Bullandshar in 1960, and in 1989 he gave up his job in the bank to do business. He played cricket like any other child in the neighbourhood but did not know anything about gambling. I have not seen him for the last five days. Our business has suffered heavy losses in the last two - three months. He does not know Prabhakar, Jadeja, Azhar etc. I do not even know if he ever watched a cricket match," he said.

Why? Don't you'll live in the same house?

"Yes, we do live in the same house but we have four bed rooms and each one of us has a television set in his or her room. So how do I know what he does in his room?" he asked with the wave of a hand.

Would you tell him that newsmen want to meet him?

"Why should I tell him in the first place. He knows that you people are after him and he does not want to meet you at all. I have told you people so many times, but like a shameless persons you people still keep on coming to our house or shop," he said, agitatedly.

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Mail Cricket Editor