IPL case: Trivedi made prosecution witness, records statement

Rajasthan Royal's bowler Sidharth Trivedi today recorded his statement before a magistrate as Delhi Police decided to make him prosecution witness, tightening their case against three cricketers in the IPL spot-fixing scandal.
Police sources said bookies urged Trivedi to indulge in spot-fixing during 2012 and 2013 editions of IPL but he did not entertain their advances.
The 30-year-old medium pacer recorded his statement under 164 of Criminal Procedure Code before a magistrate in Saket court after he was conveyed about the procedures.
As the process of recording his statement before the magistrate was completed, Delhi Police listed him as the prosecution witness and he will testify in the court about the offer made to him by his arrested teammate Ajit Chandila and bookies.

Police sources claimed fixers and bookies had tried to lure 30-year-old Trivedi with gifts to indulge in spot-fixing but he "did not act accordingly" even though he was pursued by them since 2010 IPL season.
Sources said he was approached in 2012 also by bookies Deepak Kumar and Sunil Bhatia but he refused take the bait.

"We had called him for questioning yesterday and recorded his statement under CrPC Section 164 before a magistrate. His is a borderline case. We do not have evidence to make him an accused. He is an insider who knows things. We have decided to make him prosecution witness," a senior police official said.

Sources said Trivedi, who played for Saurashtra in Ranji for the past 10 years, had given details about the three arrested players -- Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankit Chavan -- and other bookies, their meetings and other details.
"Trivedi has no criminal involvement in this case. Bookies contacted him, tried to lure him through gifts like clothes and perfumes more than once but he did not perform any act," the official said.