Lack of evidence: CBI closes IPL match-fixing cases

New Delhi: CBI officials informed the central agency that it had closed two cases pertaining to alleged match-fixing in the Indian Premier League in 2019 due to lack of evidence. The cases were registered apparently on the basis of "inputs" from Pakistan, PTI reported.

The agency had filed two FIRs in May 2022 against seven people after receiving information that "a network of individuals involved in cricket betting are influencing the outcome of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches based on inputs received from Pakistan".

The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) named Dileep Kumar, based in Delhi's Rohini, and Gurram Vasu and Gurram Satish -- based in Hyderabad -- as accused in its first FIR. Sajjan Singh, Prabhu Lal Meena, Ram Avtar and Amit Kumar Sharma, all from Rajasthan, were named as accused in the second FIR.

After nearly two years of probe, the CBI could not find enough evidence to proceed with the prosecution against them.

The agency filed a closure report in a special court on December 23, in which it has given a detailed description of the allegations and its probe in the matter, besides citing reasons for recommending the closure of the case, officials said.

They said it will now be up to the court to decide whether to accept the report filed by the agency or order it to continue further investigations.

The agency had booked these people on allegations that they were running the racket for more than 10-13 years with suspicious cash transactions being made from their accounts, the officials said.

The CBI had alleged that these individuals were in touch with Pakistani individuals through a Pakistani mobile number.

The two networks getting inputs from Pakistan were allegedly deceiving the public by "inducing them for betting", the FIR had said.

The FIR alleged that the racketeers had bank accounts (mule accounts) using fake identities and know-your-customer (KYC) documents in connivance with unidentified bank officials.

The CBI alleged that Dileep Kumar was operating a number of bank accounts in which domestic cash deposits worth more than Rs 43 lakh had been made since 2013, defying "economic rationale", the officials said.

The central agency had also alleged that in the six bank accounts operated by Gurram Satish, cash deposits worth Rs 4.55 crore (domestic) and Rs 3.05 lakh (foreign) were made during 2012-20. In the case of Gurram Vasu, the amount was Rs 5.37 crore during the same period.

The agency had alleged that there was no recognisable business rationale to explain the transactions.

"The information reveals that this network of individuals was involved in cricket betting during Indian Premier League (IPL) matches held in the year 2019," the FIR related to the Delhi-Hyderabad racket alleged.

"The persons involved are running the racket of cricket betting, committing fraud by inducing betting by the general public and thereby deceiving the public of their hard-earned money and also indulging in impersonating their identities in operating various bank accounts," it stated.

"The information reveals that this network of individuals was involved in cricket betting during the then-ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) matches held in the year 2019 in Delhi and other places," the FIR had alleged.