Prabhakar involved in match-fixing, says Outlook

There has suddenly been a dramatic turnaround to the ongoing match-fixing scandal. Former Indian all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar, after trying to turn a hero by leading the campaign against match-fixing is also reportedly involved in match-fixing. This has been quoted by the Delhi based 'Outlook' magazine in its latest press release on Saturday.

The report, which will appear in the magazine's June 5 issue, has quoted a Mumbai officer who has said "Prabhakar was guilty as - if not more guilty than - the people he is pointing fingers at." The magazine, which has conducted its own investigation has revealed that "the former Delhi allrounder's name prominently figured in telephone conversations monitored by the Mumbai Police and intercepts by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in the early nineties.''

A DRI investigator quotes Outlook as saying "His (Prabhakar's) name was quoted often and sums of money were also mentioned when these bookies were talking" which Outlook quotes. The DRI source further adds "The intelligence which were talking at that time was explosive enough to be taken ahead. If we were given the go ahead, we could have hit paydirt."

The magazine in its report says that the intelligence agencies stumbled upon Prabhakar's name while it was keeping tabs on Mumbai-based bookies and the Dubai underworld nexus. Outlook quotes a top investigator saying "on the basis of evidence which they have, Prabhakar's role in match-fixing would now increasingly be put under scrutiny."

The magazine said that Prabhakar's name cropped up in conversations that were tapped by the Mumbai Police's crime branch in November 1996 during the Titan Cup series. Though Prabhakar did not figure in the team, he was the key person in organising bets with the bookies. The report quotes an underworld source as saying "Retired players who have a close rapport with the team have come in handy as a link between members of the team and the betting syndicates."

According to the magazine, the tapes in the possession of Mumbai Police has two sets of information. One is the conversations between Prabhakar and the bookies and the other deals with Dubai-based dons and their Mumbai based counterparts in which Prabhakar's name figures. One of the conversations reveal that Prabhakar was paid Rs.20 lakhs.