Minerva’s match-fixing complaint handed to CBI

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the complaint made by Minerva Punjab FC that their players were approached for match-fixing during the just-concluded I-League.

The newly-crowned champions Minerva Punjab on two occasions — one in January and the other earlier this month — had alleged match-fixing approaches.

“Regarding the first approach relating to the alleged phone calls made to the Minerva players and the support staff, we have handed the information and the details to the CBI,”

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said at the draws ceremony for the Super Cup football tournament here.

“The second one which we made it public just a day before the I-League title deciding matches a few days back, out integrity officer is looking into the matter for further course of action,” he added.

In the first case which came to light in January, Minerva Punjab owner Ranjit Bajaj said that an Indian and a foreign player of his team were offered bribes of up to Rs 30 lakh each in an alleged match-fixing attempt.He tweeted that some match officials were also approached.

Bajaj had said that his club reported the issue to AIFF and also apprised of the Asian Football Confederation.

Later, Bajaj again wrote on social media that five more players from his club were asked to fix matches in the I-League, taking the numbers to seven.

The AIFF issued a release on March 7 about Minerva writing another letter to it informing about an approach to their players and officials from other participating teams in the

I-League.