CBI, IT exchange views on match-fixing

Senior officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax (IT) department met in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss a joint plan of action over the match fixing issue. The meeting comes after a spate of raids and the return of the two member CBI team from England where they met officials of the Scotland Yard and questioned former Indian player Ajay Sharma.

The three hour meeting between the premier investigation agency and the IT department was described as a preliminary meeting to take stock of the situation. It is also believed that the two departments exchanged a few notes on the evidence available.

Those who attended the meeting were CBI Joint Director RS Sawani, Deputy DIG Y P Singh and SP MA Ganapathy, while the income tax team was led by DG SC Parija, Director (Investigation) K Ranghabasham and Addtl. Commissioner BD Sinha.

Meanwhile, in the upper house of the Parliament, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said "The IT department is still making an assessment of the seizure and if these had any bearing on the CBI's match-fixing probe, they'd share the data with the latter." Minister of State for Finance, Dhananjay Kumar said "We have to still open 25 more lockers and search more houses."

Replying to questions regarding 'Operation Gentlemen', Sinha said "there will be no trial outside the court. We will maintain the greatest circumspection to ensure that nobody is maligned. The government has not come to any conclusion and nobody will be named before the matter is fully examined." And Kumar added "If anybody has got illegal wealth and they have not paid income tax on it then we will investigate."

In a related development, Ajay Jadeja categorically denied reports that he was summoned by the IT department for further questioning. Talking to PTI, Jadeja said "If I have not been summoned by anybody, why should I go?" Expressing his feelings, Jadeja added "The press is not playing a constructive role in the whole episode."

On a separate front, Union Sports Minister SS Dhindsa maintained his stand that those players involved in the scandal should be dropped. Talking to the reporters in New Delhi, Dhindsa said "It was a suggestion from us to the Indian Cricket Board to exclude them till their names are cleared."

Perhaps some steps are being taken by those concerned to bring the case to its logical conclusion. But there is a growing disillusionment among fans the world over on the tardy progress of the case. Ajay Kannan, a cricket fan, has probably summed up the feelings aptly in a letter to this website. He says, "to be honest, the whole match fixing issue is getting boring and the only reason is that no serious steps have been taken (other than the IT raids). I really feel sorry for Cronje. If he was an Indian, he would have escaped. I just hope this issue is resolved quickly.'' Many of us would agree with this view and hope that the probe will be speeded up in the coming days.