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Mukesh Gupta still elusive to media

Onkar Singh, in Delhi

Delhi businessman Mukesh Gupta, who appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation yesterday, continued to elude media persons. His father, K M Lall, too expressed ignorance about his whereabouts.

"I only came to know through the media that my son had appeared before the CBI on Wednesday. But he did not come back home after being interrogated," claimed Lall.

Mukesh's presence before the CBI became necessary after disgraced South Africa cricket captain Hansie Cronje, in his deposition before the King Commission in South Africa, claimed that he was introduced to Mukesh aka MK by former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, and admitted to having received $80,000 from him to fix matches.

Though the family claims that Mukesh Gupta appeared before the CBI on his own, investigations conducted by rediff.com reveal that it was the other way around. The CBI, it is learnt, put pressure on the entire family and asked them to reveal the whereabouts of Mukesh failing which they would take strict action against the family and even seal his shop, AMS Jewellers.

Yesterday, Deputy Superintendent of Police N S Virk, who is investigating the match-fixing, case, visited Mukesh's shop and issued an ultimatum. Within hours, Mukesh, who it is believed was hiding in Delhi, suddenly appeared at the CBI headquarters.

Nevertheless, Lall maintained that he wasn't aware of the whereabouts of his son. "I understand that he had gone off on a holiday to a hill station down south. I have been looking after his jewellery show room after he left for the holiday. Once he is back I will go back to my original business of aluminium, in my other house in Ballimarran," declared the 79-year-old businessmen.

So, what does AMS stand for?

"A stands for grandson Aushim, M for Mukesh and S for Sangita (Mukesh's wife). The shop was opened on March 12, 2000. Besides the family members no other important person was present on the occasion," said Lall.

Born in 1960, Mukesh, informed the father, likes to play carrom and watch cricket on television. "He is a man who feels home sick and he travels. He visits places nearby and comes back home in the evening," he said.

When did your son give up his job as a clerk in Syndicate Bank?

"About ten years back," said Lall.

And, how did you manage to own such huge property, worth over Rs 50 crore in Defence Colony and South Extension?

Pat came the reply from the shrewd, old man: "You give me Rs 25 crore and I will sell both the properties to you right now."

Does Mukesh go to cricket grounds?

"No, my son never goes to the pavilion," he said, adding he never visited any other other country besides Singapore.

However, the editor of a sports magazine confirmed that Mukesh did visit Zimbabwe and South Africa in 1992, two years after he gave up his bank and started dabbling in diamond exports.

Lall denied that Mukesh has, or even had, a close association with former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, or had visited Kanpur in 1996 when the South African team was in India as claimed by Hansie Cronje.

"I do not know what my son told the CBI yesterday, but I do not remember Azhar visiting our place at any time," he said.

CBI sources, meanwhile, confirmed that the agency would interrogate Mukesh again.

In another developement, Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has asked for a status report on the match-fixing episode both from the CBI as well as the Delhi Police.