Published: Sep 14, 2016, 01:40 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 14, 2016, 01:40 PM (IST)
Sanjeev Chawla, the key accused and cricket bookmaker in the infamous match-fixing scandal of 2000, has been arrested in London. Following the request of his extradition made by India, the UK police has written to the Delhi police asking for details on the arrangements of security and facilities of the jail he will be kept in. In their reply, the Delhi police have already informed the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that Chawla will kept at the Tihar Jail, which has been described as a central facility which follows all international standards. Chawla was named in a chargesheet filed by the Delhi police along with former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje.
According to the Indian Express, Chawla was arrested on June 14 this year at the behest of Indian authorities. The press officer of CPS, Yasser Mehmood, said, “The arrest was made following the Indian government’s extradition request. He faces charges of fixing cricket matches between India and South Africa in 2000. Chawla’s case will be heard at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on October 3.”
Cronje, who died in a plane crash in June 2002 was named in a chargesheet in the match-fixing scandal along with Chawla, for “fixing matches played between India and South Africa from February 16, 2000 to March 20, 2000 in India.”
The report quoted sources who said the crime branch officer investigating the case had earlier received an e-mail through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The e-mail was sent by Andrew Glover, who is a special prosecutor from UK’s Justice and Organised Crime Division. WATCH: Delhi Police file charges against Hansie Cronje in 2000 match-fixing scandal
The source said, “In his letter, he told Delhi Police that Chawla, who was arrested on June 14, has raised several questions about security arrangements and facilities in their jails. Glover then asked Delhi Police to provide details about their arrangements and the jail he will be kept in,” sources said.”
The Delhi police in their reply have told the authorities from UK about the facilities at the Tihar Jail, the history as well as the standard procedures. “They have also informed the CPS that Chawla will be provided a special cell with special security personnel,” a senior police officer said.
“We said that in Tihar Jail the objective is to engage, rehabilitate, and reform its inmates. Facts about products made in Tihar by inmates, which are marketed outside, were also conveyed,” the report quoted a few police sources as saying.
It was also reported that the investigators have gathered details about Chawla with the assistance of Interpol and a few of the associated of the bookie. The police were informed by one of these associates that he met Chawla in London in September 1999, decided to fix cricket matches.
A senior police officer said, “After filing the chargesheet, investigators started paperwork for the extradition of Chawla. In mid-2014, they sent all the extradition-related documents to the Ministry of Home Affairs and MEA.”
A phone conversation between Chawla and Cronje was intercepted before the first big scandal in cricket broke out in April 1999. In was learnt that Chawla had offered money to Cronje to lose matches. Chawla was also accused of offering money to two England cricketers in the same year. It is believed that Chawla went back to his clothing business and also had a restaurant business in Whitechapel in London.
