Bookies hired a cleaner at Kotla
New Delhi, May 5: The recently-suspended IPL witnessed potential corruptors plugging an accredited cleaner at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground for doing “pitchsiding” which helps ball-toball betting, BCCI AntiCorruption Unit chief Shabbir Hussain Shekhadam Khandwawala has revealed.
The new modus operandi was observed during one of the IPL games at New Delhi where a designated cleaner was using the time lag between actual match action and live TV coverage to help in ball-by ball betting, which is also known as court-siding or pitch siding.
Pitch-siding is the practice of transmitting information from sporting events for the purpose of gambling, or directly placing bets.
“One of my ACU officers caught a person and handed over the details to Delhi Police. While that particular offender managed to flee leaving behind his two mobile phones, ACU lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police,” Hussain, a former DG of Gujarat Police, said.
“We are thankful to Delhi Police that in a separate incident they caught two other persons from the Kotla on ACU tip-off.”
The Delhi Police arrested two people with fake
One of my ACU officers caught a person and handed over the details to Delhi Police. While that particular offender managed to flee leaving behind his two mobile phones, ACU lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police. accreditation cards during the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and SunRisers Hyderabad on May 2.
So how did cleaning staff come under the ACU radar? “He was standing (inside Feroz Shah Kotla premises) in a secluded area all by himself and so one of our officers approached and asked him ‘What are you doing here?’
“He said:”Main apne girlfriend se baat kar raha hoon. (I am talking to my girlfriend).
“My officer then asked him to dial the number he was talking to and then asked him to hand over the phones. Just when he was going through the contents of his phone, the guy fled from the spot,” Hussain revealed but did not divulge during which match the incident took place.