Sri Lanka Cricket snubs IPL spot-fixing probe: Reports

New Delhi: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had opted not to assist the Justice Mudgal Committee investigating Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing and betting scandal, according to media reports.

Daily Mirror reported that Indian investigators have made several attempts to seek help from Sri Lankan officials during the probe, but the Lankan officials failed to provide assistance during the probe.

The probe committee specially tried to contact SLC's two top officials - Jayantha Dharmadasa and Nishantha Ranatunga - regarding a leading Indian batsman who reportedly spent a night with a woman who has suspected bookie links in a Dambulla Hotel room when the Indian team was in Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup in 2010, which was won by India.

It's reported that the Indian probe committee first contacted Ranatunga as he is one remaining official from the SLC regime at the time. But with Ranatunga's refusal to assist the probe, the Justice Mudgal led committee approached SLC President Jayantha Dharmadasa for help.

Ranatunga admitted that an investigating officer from India indeed contacted him. “Someone called me from India and asked me for some information about an incident involving Indian players. But without a verification of his identity, we could not provide any details. So, I asked him to send his request in writing with his details” he said.

“Once we received his introduction, we forwarded it to the BCCI for verification, and received instructions from BCCI to co-operate fully with the investigation. Then we wrote back to the Investigators stating that we are committed to give our full assistance to the probe. However, we haven’t heard of them since” Ranatunga added.

Further reports claimed that Dharmadasa had initially agreed to help, but refused later.

Spot-fixing and betting scandal in cricket surfaced in 2013 with Delhi Police arresting three Rajasthan Royals players of cash rich IPL – S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan – in a midnight raid in Mumbai. Then, Mumbai police also unearthed betting links after they arrested Meiyappan and Bollywood actor Vindu Dara Singh.

Last October, the apex court had constituted the Justice Mukul Mudgal panel to investigate the IPL spot-fixing and betting case. The three-member panel led by Justice Mukul Mudgal, a retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, also includes Additional Solicitor General L Nageswara Rao and senior advocate Nilay Dutta in the committee.

With agency inputs