Mum police trashes charge of not cooperating with BCCI panel

Mumbai police probing the IPL betting scandal today rejected the charge of not cooperating with the BCCI panel that looked into spot and match fixing allegations in the IPL, saying its investigating officer could not depose before it for want of legal provisions.
The denial comes a day after a two-member panel that probed the allegations against BCCI's 'president in exile' N Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, India Cements Ltd, which owns IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, and Jaipur IPL Pvt Ltd, owner of Rajasthan Royals, gave them all a clean chit on account of lack of evidence of wrongdoing.
A senior crime branch officer said that the BCCI panel had on June 28 asked Mumbai police in writing to send its investigating officer to depose before it.

"We sought to know under which procedure we should send our IO for deposition before a private panel," the officer said speaking on condition of anonymity.
Under the CrPC, an officer investigating in a case is answerable only to the court, he said.
The Mumbai Police, in response to the BCCI's request had on July 5 written a letter to its General Manager R S Shetty, which read, "Through your letter on June 28, you had requested to depute an officer conversant with the investigation of the case to be present before the probe commission constituted by BCCI.

"As the case is still under investigation, you are requested to quote relevant legal provisions under which the investigation or any other officer from the investigation agency can be called before the probe commission," it said.

The crime branch officer said since there was no response from the BCCI to the Mumbai police's letter, the question of non-cooperation does not arise.
The panel, comprising former high court judges T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian had yesterday submitted its report to the BCCI Working Committee which met in Kolkata yesterday amid intense speculation that Srinivasan could get back the top job.
Meiyappan was the team principal of Chennai Super Kings when the scandal surfaced.
The IPL spot-fixing scandal broke out when India pacer S Sreesanth, along with two other Rajasthan Royals players Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan and 11 bookies, was arrested for alleged spot-fixing in the IPL.

The contracts of the tainted players were terminated by their franchise, which also lodged a criminal complaint against them.
There was a major crisis in cricket board when Meiyappan was arrested on charges of betting on May 26.