Sanjeev Chawla released

Shyam Bhatia
India Abroad correspondent in London

Police have released without charge the London-based Indian businessman who was being questioned in connection with alleged payments to disgraced South Africa cricket captain Hansie Cronje.

No further action is to be taken against 33-year-old Sanjeev Chawla because Scotland Yard says there is "insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction".

Chawla, from north London, was arrested last December by officers of the Metropolitan Police's Serious and Organised Crime Group. He was interviewed at a central London police station and had been bailed to return on Wednesday. However, a police spokeswoman informed that police inquiries have now been concluded.

The Scotland Yard investigation started after an allegation of attempted corruption was reported by a player to the England and Wales Cricket Board last August.

Police inquiries were also sparked off after Cronje admitted receiving money from Chawla during the final Test against England at Centurion Park, Pretoria, South Africa, in January 2000. He was later sacked as South Africa captain.

The decision to release Chawla without charge comes only days after Sir Paul Condon's claim that match-fixing still exists on the international scene.

Condon also claimed at a press briefing at Lord's last Monday that a photograph of an unnamed bookie, spotted in advance of the recent England-Pakistan matches, has been circulated to all the relevant authorities.

The head of the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit had earlier said how pleased he was that the International Cricket Council had backed his 24 proposals to rid the game of corruption.

But Condon warned, "My own view is that things are still going on within matches."

He added: "Sadly I do think events have been fixed in the last year. There are a small number of matches and a small number of players involved."