Published: Jul 07, 2013, 12:32 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 07, 2013, 12:32 PM (IST)
Harmeet Singh (above) was questioned by the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit chief Ravi Sawani on Saturday © Getty Images
Mumbai: Jul 7, 2013
India Under-19 cricketer Harmeet Singh in a statement to the Indian cricket board’s anti-corruption and security unit chief Ravi Sawani said that his Rajasthan Royals teammate Ajit Chandila deceived him into meeting the bookies.
“Ajit deceived me into meeting them. I did not even know their names. When I asked Ajit who they were, he brushed aside the topic and claimed they were like his brothers,” Harmeet was quoted by Hindustan Times.
“It was only when Delhi police showed me their photographs could I recognise them.”
According to reports, Harmeet is yet to be suspended by BCCI and nor the board has issued a show-cause notice against him.
Earlier, bookie Jitender Singh revealed that he had tried to get Harmeet involved in spot-fixing, however he stepped back as the cricketer was too young.
Harmeet met Sawani in Mumbai on Saturday evening. In his statement, he clarified that he wasn’t offered any gifts by the bookies.
“They never offered me any gifts or money. I could not report about them to the team officials as I had no idea.”
Harmeet old Sawani that when the initial reports of IPL 2013 spot-fixing controversy broke out, he was too scared to speak about it to anyone including his father.
The 20-year-old couldn’t sign contract with Vidarbha due to the spot-fixing controversy, from where he is supposed to play First-Class matches this season. Although, Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) clarified that Harmeet was not dropped from VCA XI side last week.
