Accused in the 2000 match fixing fiasco, Sanjeev Chawla has made startling claims regarding his disclosure with the crime branch. The UK based Chawla has pointed that the 22 players involved in a game of cricket are corrupt and fix all the matches, working towards a fixed outcome, similar to a script.
Chawla was deported to India earlier this year and he was accused of fixing a match between India and South Africa in the year 2000. This involved captains of India and South Africa of that time Mohammad Azharuddin and Hansie Cronje. The other accused cricketers were Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Jadeja and Ajay Sharma. Cronje admitted his involvement in the match fixing and as a result was handed with a life ban but he later died of a place crash.
Delhi Police had registered a FIR in 2000 but the charge sheet was filed 13 years later after which Chawla was brought back to the country in 2020. Chawla noted the role of underworld don in the game of cricket, comparing the game of cricket to a scripted movie.
He reportedly told Delhi Police that the “syndicate” has on its target Crime Branch DCP—Dr G Ram Gopal Naik and his life too was under threat. However, Chawla’s advocate has termed it as a “creation of imagination of police”.
“The statement purportedly given by Sanjeev Chawla on 14/02/2020 is a figment of imagination of the police. This document was never shown to him, thus there was no question of refusing to sign. He saw this document for the first time when the copy of supplementary chargesheet was served on him,” advocate Vikas Pahwa told The Indian Express.
Pahwa claims that his client Sanjeev Chawla denies ever being a cricket bookie or having any knowledge or involvement in match-fixing.
“…He (Chawla) has categorically denied having any knowledge or involvement in any kind of match-fixing or ever being a cricket bookie,” Pahwa said.
