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Delhi Police undecided about release of tapes

The Delhi Police may refuse to part with the crucial 'Hansie tapes' even if the government of South Africa makes a formal request for its release.

A senior officer of the force, who is closely associated with the investigations in the Hansie Cronje case, said it is too early to say anything in this regard. '

“We had earlier rejected similar requests from the South African Cricket Board,” he said.

He was commenting on newspaper reports that Judge Edwin King, who is heading the commission of inquiry into match-fixing allegations in South Africa, may ask the President of the South Africa to make a formal request to the Indian government for the tapes.

The tapes have assumed added significance as during the cross-examination before the King Commission, Cronje had denied that it is his voice that figures in the tape-recorded conversation with Sanjeev (Sanjay) Chawla.

“He may have denied at one place that the voice was his. But he has also admitted in so many words that the case that the Delhi Police has registered against him is correct. He admits having met Sanjay. He admits about the SIM card being given to him. He admits to the cell phone being handed over to him. He admits that Cassim called him. There are a number of other instances which show that Cronje has practically admitted to everything we have said, including the transcrips of the tape-recorded conversations which we released to the media. Then how can he deny that the tapes do not have his voice on them,” Dr K K Paul, joint commissioner of the Crime Branch told rediff.com.

But would the Delhi Police release the tapes should the government of India receive a formal request for them from the South African government?

“I am not talking about what we might do when the situation arises. We will have to consult our legal experts before we can take a decision. In any case we will cross the bridge when we come to it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mansur Ali Khan, former India cricket captain, reacting to former BCCI president I S Bindra's statement that Indian and Pakistani team captains started fixing matches in the seventies itself, said: “During my time no match was played between India and Pakistan. Later on, Bishen Bedi and Sunil Gavaskar led Indian teams. So these players will have to react to Bindra’s claims.”