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CBI begins viewing Prabhakar tapes

Onkar Singh, in Delhi

The Central Bureau of Investigation team which is looking into allegations of betting and match-fixing in Indian cricket has started viewing the nine VHS tapes former India allrounder Manoj Prabhakar submitted to it on Saturday, to substantiate the allegations he levelled against former Indian captain Kapil Dev.

According to sources, the total duration of the tapes is well over 15 hours, as each tape consists of raw footage of an hour-and-a-half. However, those connected with the investigations are not too enthusiastic about both the quality of the shooting as well as the contents of the tapes.

"Time and again the media has been posing questions regarding these tapes only. Let me remind the media that we are not dealing with the allegations made by Manoj Prabhakar alone, but the entire gambit of match-fixing," a top official of the agency told rediff.com on Monday evening.

He, however, did not rule out the possibility of the tapes being used as evidence should the situation demand. "We need some independent evidence to prove Prabhakar's allegations. So far this evidence has not come forth. If necessary we would call Navjot Singh Sidhu and Ajit Wadekar to appear before the investigating team. Both of them could be confronted with the evidence given by Prabhakar, and also the conversation that they had with him, which has been taped by the former cricket player," said an officer.

He said that though a number of bookies have been interrogated by the agency in various parts of the country, precious little has come forth so far to force the agency into making any arrests.

"We do not rush into arresting someone for the sake of doing so. We first collect enough evidence and then arrest an accused," said S M Khan, official spokesman for the CBI.

Talking about the disclosures made by a Bombay bookie, details of which were carried by a leading national daily, Khan said the investigating team would look into them.

Khan went on to confirm that the CBI is not carrying out any investigation against Indian businessman-cum-sports promoter Aushim Kehtrapal vis-a-vis the Chris Lewis case.

"Scotland Yard officers did visit the CBI headquarters during their visit to India but they have not entrusted any investigation to us. We had sent a request to Interpol regarding information on Sanjeev Chawala, key accused in the Hansie Cronje case, but we have not got much of assistance from them so far," he added.

But is the CBI on the verge of arresting some bookies?

"We have got information on match-fixing, but there is no, what we call, breakthrough as yet. So the question of arresting someone immediately does not arise," said a senior ranking officer of the CBI.

V N Kaura, advocate for Kapil Dev, confirmed that he has not received any reply from either Manoj Prabhakar or tehelka.com. Kaura had sent them notices last week asking them to apologise within seven days, unconditionally, or face a defamation suit.

"I did not expect any reply from them. If we do receive one we would take care of it. As the courts are closed now, I would take further action on this matter only once the courts open in July. By that time we would have got some sort of assessment on the kind of defamation suit to file against Prabhakar and tehelka.com," said Kaura.

Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said since the government has handed over the match-fixing case to the CBI, it would not interfere in the investigations. "They are looking into all aspects of match-fixing and let them come out with their report," said the minister.

He was speaking to newsmen at the end of a prize-distribution function at Vigyan Bhavan, where leading sports personalities were honoured for their contribution in various fields. The minister, however, did not mince words while talking about Prabhakar's undercover investigations and recording of the informal conversations he had with unsuspecting persons.

"His behaviour is condemnable. No right thinking person would have done what he did. He has brought shame to Indian cricket," said Dhindsa.

The Betting Scandal: The full story