Cops say arrested spot boy linked to many cricketers

Mohammad Ahya alias Yusuf, a Bollywood spot boy arrested in the connection of the spot fixing scandal, was in touch with several cricketers apart from the three arrested Rajasthan Royals players, Delhi Police said Saturday.

During the interrogation, Ahya claimed that knew many Indian as well as foreign players and contacted them for spot fixing, said an officer who did not want to be named.

Ahya, 45, was arrested at the Hyderabad airport Friday morning while trying to flee to Dubai, police said.

He is in the custody of the Special Cell of Delhi Police and being questioned along with Rajasthan Royals cricketers S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan and 15 bookies.

Police said the spot boy was working as a conduit between bookies and fixers for this season's IPL matches.

Ahya, a resident of Mumbai and native of Hyderabad, started his career as a spot boy on film sets in 1984. He was a spot boy in a movie released in 2010, the officer said.

Police arrested the three Rajasthan Royals cricketers and 11 bookies in a post-midnight operation in Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad May 16, exposing the spot fixing scam.