In a sensational twist to the IPL spot-fixing scandal, the Delhi Police said that Sreesanth and two players were acting at the "command" of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chota Shakeel, and invoked the stringent MCOCA against 23 accused in the case. Claiming that they have "concrete" evidence like intercepted telephonic conversations to link Sreesanth and some others with D-company.

 

Under MCOCA, the accused face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment along with fine of Rs 5 lakh. Police's disclosure came in a court which extended till June 18 the judicial custody of Sreesanth and 22 others against whom the Maharasthra Control of Organised Crime Act  (MCOCA) was invoked. A total of 26 people have been arrested by the Delhi Police since May 16 in the case.

 

"Since the accused persons were acting on command of people based abroad like Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and Chota Shakeel who have a continuous past record of organised crimes,  provisions of MCOCA have been invoked against the accused," police told additional sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain. The court, in its order, referred to the approval granted by joint commissioner of police special cell for invoking section 3 and 4 of MCOCA and also a report citing reasons for the same. "It has been stated that the approval for invoking MCOCA has been accorded on the premise that the arrested persons/accused through extensive use of electronic and via media were in communication with each other and with their other associates, who are still absconding, including those associates who are based abroad. "The illegal organised betting syndicate in India is  being controlled by persons based abroad. The arrested accused persons have been found playing role of conspirators while  others have been found acting as facilitators," the court quoted from the report.

 

meanwhile vindoo dara singh and gurunath meiyappen,who were arrested in connection with the spot fixing and betting scandel  was granted bail yesterday by a mumbai local court,  under conditons that they have to surrender their passports to the authorities and have to report to the crime branch atleast twice in a week.