SAJID KHAN, TOO WAS INTO BETTING?

After actor-producer Arbaz Khan and producer Parag Sanghvi, another name from Bollywood has surfaced in the cricket betting racket.

Arrested bookie Sonu Jalan has told the Thane anti-extortion cell that producer Sajid Khan had placed bets on cricket matches in 2011. Pradeep Sharma, Senior Police Inspector, Anti-extortion cell, said, “We are yet to investigate how Jalan and Khan were introduced to each other and if he is in connection with other bookies known to Jalan. Khan may be summoned for further investigations, if required, in the coming days.” Khan is famous Bollywood choreographer Farah Khan’s brother.

Meanwhile, an officer of the CBI, Delhi, visited the Thane anti-extortion cell to interrogate Jalan in connection with a case of criminal conspiracy registered aga-inst him in 2015, which involved the then Joint Director of Enforcement Directorate, JP Singh.

Jalan, bookie JK Arora and Jayesh Thakkar were arrested in the case in 2016. The ED’s Ahmedabad unit was probing two important cases – the Rs 2,600 crore IPL betting scandal and Rs 5,000 crore money-laundering case against hawala operator Afroz Fatta in which the suspects allegedly sought favours. Singh and two other ED officers would threaten the accused persons and suspects, and extort money. The ED had written a letter to CBI seeking an investigation against Singh and the other officers. It was alleged that Singh had extorted from those accused of money-laundering in IPL betting racket.