Clean chit for ’fixers
New Delhi, July 1: The Income Tax department has given a clean chit to the five banned domestic cricketers, who were involved in the IPL spotfixing fiasco, from any financial misconduct or receiving kickbacks in order to fix matches.
The department, which conducted an investigation into the financial transactions of the five players for charges of spot-fixing, found that the cricketers have not received any pecuniary benefit in cash or by the way of fund deposits in their accounts.
The five players — T.P. Sudhindra, Shalabh Srivastava, Mohnish Mishra, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali were also questioned by the I-T sleuths at their special unit office in the national capital after a TV channel aired the sting operation.
According to sources privy to the development, the department is expected to submit a report in this regard soon and would also inform the Sports Ministry.
The I-T sleuths also conducted a scan on the bank accounts, investments and other financial avenues of these five cricketers and their close relatives, in order to probe if any kickbacks were illegally received by them to fix IPL
The taxmen are expected to submit a report in this regard soon and would also inform the Sports Ministry
matches.
“They are clean, at least, on the illegal gratification and money front,” sources said. The department, however, is continuing with its probe against various IPL franchises. The BCCI had on Saturday slapped a life ban on pacer T.P. Sudhindra and handed lighter punishments to the other four other players who were also exposed in the TV sting operation.
Meanwhile, Shalabh Srivastava feels he hasn’t got “justice” after the BCCI slapped a five-year ban which means that his career is “as good as over.”
“I still maintain that I am innocent and I have not got justice. When I spoke to BCCI officials, I told them that I have never been involved in any match-fixing. I told them that I haven’t even played in this year’s IPL and I thought I would get proper justice and won’t be punished as I am innocent,” an upset Srivastava said from Shirdi, where he has gone with his family to seek blessings of Sai Baba.
“I don’t know what to do now that I have been banned for five years. May be some sort of divine intervention would help me and that’s why I have come with family to seek Sai Baba’s blessings,” Srivastava added.
“Since I had knee injury, I was in Lucknow going through recuperation process. How can I negotiate with someone and promise him to fix matches and bowl no-balls?” the former India U-19 pacer questioned. — PTI