Published: May 19, 2013, 04:13 PM (IST)
Edited: May 19, 2013, 04:13 PM (IST)
Bookie Chandresh Patel revealed that he had supplied escorts to S Sreesanth (above) and Ajit Chandila on at least six occasions in the past one year © Getty Images
New Delhi: May 19, 2013
Tainted Indian cricketer S Sreesanth has reportedly disclosed to police that Jiju Janardhanan, a bookie and a close friend of the pacer had tried to make an MMS of him with an escort at a Mumbai hotel.
Jiju, who was go-between the bookies and Sreesanth had allegedly received Rs 10 lakh to supply women to the Royals’ pacer.
According to Times of India, the bookies had planned to secretly tape the players – Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan — while they were with the escorts, who lured them in accepting the deals.
This disclosure comes from Sreesanth when he was questioned in police custody. At the time of his arrest, the police had caught him along with three girls when his vehicle was intercepted at Bandra in Mumbai on Wednesday night. While one of them is being questioned, the other two have been let off as they claimed to be friends of the player.
This piece of information was further affirmed by Chandresh Patel, a bookie arrested by the police in Mumbai. Patel admitted that he had arranged such escorts for Chandila and Sreesanth on at least six more occasions in the past one year.
The Police now suspect that the MMS clips might actually have been shot despite Patel revealing that the plan to film the players was called off.
Mumbai police have seized the mobiles, iPhones, laptops, data cards and other personal belongings of Sreesanth and his relative and bookie Jiju.
“They were roped in to lure players. The bookies would place them in a room near to that of the target player. The woman would then test the waters as the players entered or left their rooms, or in the lobby. If they were able to strike up a ‘friendship’, the operation began. Women were also planted at IPL parties after the matches,” a source said.
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