IPL spot fixing: Sreesanth is innocent until proven guilty, says Tharoor

Terming the news of Sreesanth caught by Delhi police for spot fixing as extremely unhappy, Minister of State for Human Resource and Development (HRD) and Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said Indian pacer is innocent until proven guilty.

"Sreesanth is a good player, a prestige for Kerala, whether guilty or not will emerge after the investigations," Tharoor told media here.

Meanwhile, former Indian wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani has called for severe punishment for cricketers who are involve in the fixing controversy.

Sending shock waves all over the Indian cricketing fraternity, Sreesanth has been arrested over charges of spot-fixing in the ongoing IPL tournament, along with two other players of the Rajasthan Royals franchise, of which he is also a part.

According to TV reports, Sreesanth, a veteran of 53 ODIs and 27 Tests, had been arrested in Mumbai along with cricketers Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan and seven bookies.

According to police sources quoted by the reports, the players have been accused of spot-fixing in different IPL matches, adding that they have been found out as a result of investigations on the matter in the big-money IPL.

The Rajasthan Royals franchise, which is co-owned by Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, has said in statement that, "We are completely taken by surprise... We will fully cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation. The management at Rajasthan Royals has a zero-tolerance approach to anything that is against the spirit of the game.