IPL spot-fixing: bookie retracts from confessional statement

A key bookie in IPL spot-fixing scandal, today retracted before a Delhi court from his confessional statement recorded by the police saying it was given under "pressure".
Jitendra Jain, alias Jeetu, filed an application before the court requesting it to take action against erring police officials for "mis-using their official powers and recording the false confessional statement under threat and pressure".
Jeetu, who was produced before Additional Sessions Judge Renu Bhatnagar after expiry of his four days of police remand, alleged that during the remand, his confessional statement was recorded "involuntarily".
"During the police custody remand, Jeetu was produced before DCP and he was made to get his confessional statement recorded involuntarily, under threat, fear and pressure and clearly in contravention of provisions of law without the proper procedure of law," Jeetu said his application.

The court has asked the police to file their reply on the plea tomorrow.
Jeetu is the 29th person to be arrested in the scandal and provisions of stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) have been invoked against him.

The Delhi Police had on May 16 arrested three cricketers -- S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan of Rajasthan Royal's -- on the charge of spot-fixing.
Delhi Police had slapped MCOCA provisions on Sreesanth, Chandila, Chavan and on 25 others in the case, alleging they were acting under the command of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel.

In the same case, the court had on June 10 granted bail to Sreesanth, Chavan and 19 others for lack of evidence against them to be charged under MCOCA.
At present, eight accused, including Chandila, are in jail and their bail applications are pending in the court.