Belagavi Panthers team owner arrested for betting in Karnataka Premier League
In a severe blow to the credibility of India’s domestic T20 leagues, one of the team owners in Karnataka Premier League (KPL) has been arrested for betting charges. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested Ali Asfak Thara, the owner of Belagavi Panthers in Bengaluru for allegedly betting during the T20 tournament. The CCB is probing deeper to find if there were any match-fixing activities taking place as well.
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Owner arrested
Thara, the team owner, was arrested on Monday (23rd Sept) for his association in betting activities with a Dubai-based bookie. As a part of the procedure, the police are also investigating the Panthers players.
Sandeep Patil, joint commissioner of police, CCB informed Cricbuzz of the activities. “We arrested Belagavi Panthers team owner Ali Asfak Thara for placing bets on matches. The accused placed bets with the help of a Dubai-based bookie. Regarding match-fixing, it is still under inquiry. Investigation revealed that Thara was in touch with players of other teams during KPL matches. The players are being questioned.”
The Panthers team have played in the KPL since the inaugural season in 2009. They emerged victorious in the 2017 season. This year, they finished second with three wins and two losses in their six games. Panthers then lost both the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator and failed to reach the final. Both the defeats came while chasing and they fall short by quite a few runs. India batsman Manish Pandey was also part of the Panthers squad this season and topped the run charts despite playing in only four matches.
This is not the first incident of malicious activities in the Indian domestic tournaments. Even T20 Mumbai League and Tamil Nadu Premier League are also under investigation for alleged malpractices. The BCCI will have to take harsh measures to ensure that the present and future of Indian cricket is in clean and safe hands.
