Mumbai cops want to question Meiyappan by Friday evening

Widening the probe into the IPL spot fixing scam, Mumbai police have ordered Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of Indian cricket board chief N. Srinivasan, to get in touch with them by Friday evening, an official said in Mumbai.

A team of Mumbai police led by Investigating Officer Nandkumar Gopale served the orders at the Chennai residence of Meiyappan, chief executive of Chennai Super Kings team of the IPL, Thursday evening, the official said.

Meiyappan was not available at his house and his current whereabouts were not known, the official said, as Mumbai police tightened the noose to virtually reach the top echelons of Indian cricket.

"We have served the summons to Meiyappan, one was stuck on the main door of his home on Cenotaph Road in Alwarpeth, Chennai, and another was accepted by a manager in the Chennai Super Kings office at Coromandel Towers today (Thursday)," Joint Police Commissioner (Crime) Himanshu Roy, who is directing the probe in the scam told media-persons in Mumbai.

He added that the developments took place after intensive interrogation of arrested Bollywood actor Vindu Dara Singh and inspection of records of his phone calls with Meiyappan and some bookies.

"We are hopeful that Meiyappan will cooperate with the police. In case he fails to show up within the allotted time, there are procedures in law to ensure his availability, but it would not augur well," Roy added, hinting at the possibility of arrest.

Board of Control for Cricket in India president Srinivasan, who is based in Chennai, was not available for comments.

The crime branch of Mumbai police has constituted a special eight-member team to probe the scam and conduct operations at various locations revealed by bookies and others arrested accused, Roy said.

In a related development, Nashik police nabbed five punters who were allegedly betting in the ongoing IPL tournament following a raid in the city late Wednesday.

The police have recovered around a dozen cellphones, a laptop and other incriminating material used for betting from the Sai Palace Bungalow.

While three of those arrested are from Nashik, the rest are from Buldana district of eastern Maharashtra, officials said.