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CBI records Wadekar's statement again

Onkar Singh, in Delhi

Former India cricket captain and coach Ajit Wadekar was on Tuesday examined by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the ongoing probe into allegations of match-fixing.

This is the second time that the CBI has recorded Wadekar's statement.

Following the disclosures in the controversial tapes that former India allrounder Manoj Prabhakar submitted to the CBI, it became necessary for the investigating agency to interrogate Wadekar again.

Wadekar spent more than two hours with the CBI team, led by Superintendent of Police M A Ganapati, but did not say anything to media persons, as he was escorted straight to his car by the agency officers.

According to CBI sources, Wadekar was closely questioned about Manoj Prabhakar's claim that Kapil Dev had offered him Rs 2.5 million to under perform in a 1994 Singer Cup match. He was shown clips of the clandestinely produced film by Manoj Prabhakar and tehelka.com wherein he had said that he had written a letter to the BCCI president about the incident.

Later, briefing the newsmen, CBI official spokesman S M Khan confirmed that Wadekar's statement was recorded but refused to reveal any details.

"It is not our policy to disclose any details of the investigation," Khan said.

Khan also denied that the CBI had closed the television rights case and that the agency had been pulled up by a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. "This is news to me. Let me tell you that investigations in the second case are going on satisfactorily and no attempt has been made to stall the investigations by anyone," he said.

Asked if the CBI is confining its investigation only to the tapes submitted by Manoj Prabhakar, Khan said the CBI is investigating other angles of match-fixing as well and had talked to a number of people, including bookies, to get to the bottom of the problem.

Would the CBI record the statement of Hansie Cronje, since the agency is looking for one Mukesh Gupta on the basis of the statement made by the former South Africa skipper. "If it is required it will be done. At the moment there is no plan to fly a team to South Africa to record the statement of Hansie Cronje." he added.

Has the CBI been able to trace Mukesh Gupta?

"No we have not been able to trace him. We have told his father that the CBI would like to examine his son and he should inform us the moment he knows anything. We hope he will do the needful and let us know when his son contacts him," Khan said.

The Betting Scandal: The full story