Kapil Dev deposes before CBI

The CBI on Thursday questioned cricketing icon Kapil Dev in the wake of allegations levelled by former all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar that the former India skipper had offered him a bribe to under perform in a one-dayer.

Dev is among the last of cricket players to depose before the agency before it submits its interim report to Union Sports Minister S S Dhindsa.

Kapil Dev, whose premises were raided by Income Tax authorities on July 20 during a nationwide swoop on cricketers, administrators and bookies, was questioned by the agency's special crime branch.

Dev, who has been denying all charges levelled by Prabhakar, has also received implicit support from former Team manager Ajit Wadekar, wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia, batsman Navjot Sidhu and bowler Prashant Vadiya, named by Prabhakar as witnesses to a commotion between him and Kapil over the alleged bribe offer.

Prabhakar had alleged that Kapil offered him a bribe of Rs 25 lakh to under perform in a one-dayer in Sri Lanka against Pakistan.

The agency decided to call Kapil Dev only after recording a statement of former skipper Ravi Shastri, who is the only person who corroborated Prabhakar's claim that he had confided in him following the alleged offer.

Shastri had reportedly told a web site immediately after Prabhakar went public with his allegation that he was approached by Prabhakar and briefed about the alleged offer for under performing in the match.

The CBI has so far recorded statements of 15 cricket-related persons including BCCI president A C Muthiah, secretary Jaywant Lele, treasurer Kishore Rungta, Delhi Cricket Association Secretary Sunil Dev, former BCCI President I S Bindra, former team manager Ajit Wadekar, cricketers Manoj Prabhakar, Mohammed Azharuddin, Navjot Sidhu, Nayan Mongia, Ajay Jadeja, Prashant Vaidya and Nikhil Chopra besides some bookies including Mukesh Gupta.

The agency will submit an interim report on its investigations into the scandal to the government soon.

Mail Cricket Editor