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Azhar deposes before CBI; denies charges

Onkar Singh, in Delhi

Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin was Thursday grilled by the Central Bureau of Investigation for over four hours about his alleged role in match-fixing, and allegations made by Manoj Prabhakar.

In his deposition to the CBI, Prabhakar had said that he had informed Azharuddin about Kapil Dev's offer of Rs 2.5 million to under perform in a 1994 Singer Cup match against Pakistan.

Azhar, who arrived from Hyderabad by morning flight, went to the CBI headquarters at around 10.30 IST, well before the media could get to know of his presence in the capital. However, all hell broke loose when he stepped out of the CBI building later in the afternoon. There was a virtual stampede as media persons jostled with each other to get a clear shot or quote of the stylish batsman.

In fact, they didn't get much as he refused to open his mouth. He merely walked along with his brother to a waiting CBI vehicle which drove them away.

CBI joint director R N Savani, who led the interrogating team, refused to comment on what transpired during the meeting. He only said: "We questioned him on all aspects of the game; we are satisfied with what he has told us so far. But if there is a new development then we might call him again."

Top officials of the agency too maintained a studied silence. "All that I can tell you is that he answered each and every question that was put to him," said a senior officer, adding Azhar denied having any links with bookies, or introducing a man called Mukesh Gupta to Hansie Cronje in 1996, in Kanpur.

"I have never been involved in the match-fixing," he is reported to have said.

Observers believe that Cronje's statement during his cross-examination by the King commission on Thursday, wherein he said that Azhar may not have known that Mukesh Gupta was a bookie, perhaps saved the day for the former India captain. The CBI team apparently kept itself abreast with the developments in Cape Town through television networks and a web site.

"We had a four hour session with him including a short break for tea," said an official of the agency.

Why did you take so much of time with Azhar?

"Initially we did not have the material. Now we have got enough material. Besides, Hansie had named Azhar in his deposition before the King Commission. We questioned him on all aspects of match-fixing, including what Hansie had said about him," said the official.

What about Mukesh Gupta? Where is he? What all was seized from his shop when it was raided by the CBI?

"We did not," said the official, "seize any thing. We did not conduct any raid as such. We are looking for Gupta to question him about the allegations levelled by Cronje. We have told his father that as soon as he contacts him he should tell us."

Are you planning to call Vishwabandhu Gupta and Rakesh Maria to depose before the agency?

"No. What information Gupta has is available with the department of income tax. We can get the information from the department. Rakesh Maria is no longer with the Mumbai police. He is with some other agency. We can get the information from the police, including the tapes."

Asked when would the CBI register a formal case, official spokesman S M Khan said: "We might take six months before deciding whether to register a proper complaint. So far we are not making any criminal inquiry. We are still at the initial stages and it would take sometime before we reach a decision whether to convert it into an FIR."

He confirmed that Ajit Wadekar had denied all the allegations made against Kapil Dev by Manoj Prabhakar in his deposition before the agency on Tuesday.

Would the CBI be summoning other former players like Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar? " We will not say anything at the moment," he replied.