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Shastri not summoned, say CBI officials

Onkar Singh, in Delhi

Top officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday denied reports that former India cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri has been summoned to appear before the agency in the ongoing match-fixing investigation.

"There is no truth in the report that appeared in some of the national dailies, that Ravi Shastri has been summoned to appear before the agency any time next week. We have been in touch with a number of players, including Shastri, and will be fixing up appointments with them according to their convenience. We know that Shastri is abroad and is currently doing commentary in Sri Lanka. We will wait for him to get back," said a top official of the agency in an informal chat with rediff.com.

Sources in the CBI reveal that despite loud denials, the agency is following up on leads provided to them by former cricket allrounder Manoj Prabhakar, and interrogating all those who figured in the clandestinely shot 'Prabhakar tapes', for their version on the match-fixing allegations.

"If the agency is not following leads provided by Prabhakar then it would not have called Dr Ali Irani for interrogation," the sources pointed out.

Those who have been examined by the CBI include Sunil Dev, sports secretary of the Delhi and District Cricket Association; I S Bindra, former president of Board for Control of Cricket in India; Manoj Prabhakar, Navjot Sidhu, Ajit Wadekar, Mohammad Azharuddin, Nayan Mongia, Prashant Vadiya, Ali Irani, Nikhil Chopra and Mukesh Gupta.

An advocate of the Delhi High Court and his friend who have filed a public interest litigation in the Delhi High Court have also been examined.

Those who likely to be examined in the coming weeks include Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and a couple of other players who have represented India in last ten years.

"Our intention is to examine all those who may know something about the match-fixing allegations. We might call people who have not been on our original list," said a top CBI officer.

He said the agency is also preparing a list of BCCI officials (both past and present) who it feels could throw some light on the allegations. He however refused to say when Kapil Dev, who Manoj Prabhkar claims offered him Rs 2.5 million to under perform in a Singer Cup match against Pakistan in 1994, will be interrogated.

"We are still examining other witnesses. When we reach a stage when we are sure that time has come to record Kapil's statement we will do it," he said without elaborating.

Last Saturday, the agency summoned Manoj Prabhakar as it needed some clarifications. "Earlier he had come to us twice. But this was the first time when he came to the CBI office on our request," clarified R N Savani, CBI joint director, who is heading the investigation.

Prabhakar, who, following his meeting with CBI officials last week, told a leading national daily that the CBI is doing a wonderful job, however, seems to have reservations about the investigation. "I don't know if anything will come out of it," he told rediff.com.

Meanwhile, Rajesh Kalra, who is currently on bail in the match-fixing case being investigated by the Crime Branch of the Delhi police, is believed to be trying to sell his version of the episode to a private television channel. Sources say he is also talking to a number of web sites. This was confirmed by his advocate Vineet Malhotra.

Rajesh Kalra was the first one to be arrested by the Delhi police, even before it announced the involvement of Hansie Cronje and other top South African players in match-fixing.

The other accused arrested in the case is film actor Kishen Kumar, who is also out on bail. He has denied his involvement, though he admitted knowing London-based bookmaker Sanjeev Chawala, whose conversations with Hansie Cronje were taped by the Delhi police.