Prabhakar remains in the spotlight

For yet another day, Manoj Prabhakar was the centre of attraction in the match fixing case. First, he finally submitted to the CBI video recordings of what he said were interviews with some of the leading personalities in Indian cricket, politicians and certain other prominent people on the existence of match fixing and betting in the game.

The CBI had for long awaited the arrival of the tapes, which could play a crucial role in the case. Prabhakar went to the CBI office in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon and handed over the recordings, running into eight to ten cassettes, to the investigating team headed by joint director RN Sawani. Met by reporters as he was coming out of the office, Prabhakar told them that what he had shown to the media in New Delhi last week was an edited version. The CBI has apparently been given tapes which run much longer and which are said to have more details. The edited version itself had some sensational disclosures. What further sensational disclosures the unedited tapes would come up with is open to debate.

Asked whether he was questioned by the CBI about the video recording, Prabhakar said ``no question was asked. I was only introduced to certain officials of the CBI. I have now given the tapes to the CBI. They can see it for themselves.'' The questioning is obviously reserved for later.

A little later, he was again in the spotlight, as he was telling reporters that he was in no way involved in the alleged Rs 50 crore fraud by a Uttar Pradesh based firm. Denying that he was in any way connected with the company, least of all as a director, Prabhakar said attempts were being made to implead him in a false case. ``This is part of a malicious campaign against me,'' he said. ``I am not connected with the company. There is nothing to suggest my involvement in the case. I am neither a co promoter nor am I on the board of directors of any of the Lucknow based group of companies.'' He presented documents and receipts from the department of company affairs of the Uttar Pradesh government in support of his stand. ``These documents prove my non involvement,'' he proclaimed. ``It is worth noting that this motivated campaign against me started around the time that I was slated to appear before the CBI to reveal to them the name of the team mate who offered me Rs 25 lakhs.'' he said.

While the spotlight remained on Prabhakar, another former Indian cricketer was also in the news. Ajay Sharma, currently in England termed as ``false'' all allegations about his involvement in the match fixing case and said he was ready to disclose all his assets. In a TV interview over telephone, Sharma said he was not in a position to return to India now because of congractual obligations in England where he is said to be playing league cricket.

Meanwhile, a New Delhi court rejected the bail application of Rajesh Kalra in a four lakh dollar Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) violation case relating to the match-fixing scandal.

Additional Sessions Judge Sharda Aggarwal rejected the bail plea of Kalra, the first person to be arrested in the match-fixing case, saying she did not find any merit in the application.

Kalra, who was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on April 13 on charges of FERA violations, had moved the sessions court challenging a lower court order rejecting his bail plea.