Decision on match-fixing
case soon

Radhey Shyam Gupta, Delhi's new police commissioner, says the Delhi police will soon take a decision on the feasibility of pursuing the match-fixing case, registered against late former South Africa cricket captain Hansie Cronje and others.

He was responding to a question whether it is worth pursuing the case when Cronje, the main accused, is no more.

Cronje was killed in a plane crash last month.

"I have just taken over. I will hold consultations with my officers and take a decision on this matter very soon," Gupta said.

Most of the officers involved with the investigations in the case have either been transferred out of Delhi or have been shifted to other departments.

Pradeep Srivastav, Deputy Commissioner, Crime and Railways, who was supervising the case, is now in Goa on deputation, while B S Brar, Additional Commissioner, Crime, is transferred on promotion to the Delhi Municipal Corporation, as Vigilance Commissioner.

Joint Commissioner, Crime, Dr K K Paul, who personally supervised the case, which was registered in April 2000, has been elevated to the post of Special Commissioner, in charge of the intelligence.

A Central Bureau of Investigation officer said the case is likely to be closed for lack of evidence.

More then two years since the Delhi police busted the match-fixing racket, the investigating agency is nowhere near filing a charge sheet. Bookmaker Rajesh Kalra and film actor-businessman Kishen Kumar were arrested but are currently on bail.

"Sanjeev Chawla, the London-based Indian bookie who had allegedly offered money to Hansie Cronje, is yet to be questioned. Scotland Yard has refused to help the Delhi police in getting the bank accounts of Chawla or interrogating him. They are not willing to extradite him to India," a top Delhi police told rediff.com.