IPL spot-fixing: cops oppose anticipatory bail plea of accused

The court reserved its order on the bail plea for tomorrow

The Delhi Police today opposed in a court here the anticipatory bail plea of Mohd Shakil, alias Amir, chargesheeted in IPL spot-fixing scandal case involving suspended cricketer S Sreesanth, saying he was in touch with the accused who were part of the "core syndicate".

The Special Cell of Delhi Police claimed Amir was facilitating the fixing racket and he was in constant touch with arrested accused Chandresh Patel and Jitendra who, in turn, were in direct link with the main syndicate involving underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his close aide Chhota Shakeel.

"Amir was chargesheeted in the case. Non-bailable warrant was issued against him by the court after filing of the charge sheet. He was in touch with Chandresh Patel and Jitendra who was in touch with bookie Ashwani Aggarwal.... Ashwani was in the core syndicate with Dawood and Shakeel," public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan told Additional Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma.

The court, after hearing the arguments of both the sides, reserved for tomorrow its order on the anticipatory bail plea.

During the hearing, the counsel, appearing for Amir, argued the role of his client has not been disclosed in the charge sheet and not a "single prosecution witness" out of the 168 witnesses have testified against him.

"Who says he (Amir) is absconding? Have they (police) served any notice to him to join the investigation? What was the evidence on which I am required to be arrested," the counsel said.

The police had on July 30 filed its charge sheet in the case against 39 accused, including Dawood Ibrahim, Shakeel, now suspended cricketers Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila for their alleged involvement in the IPL spot-fixing scandal.

Besides, charging all the accused for the offence of conspiracy and cheating under IPC, provisions of stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) have been invoked against them for being the part of the syndicate.