Indian women’s cricketer approached by two bookies for match-fixing
An Indian women’s cricketer was approached by two bookies to fix matches earlier this year. The incident was reported by the cricketer to the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit, who have now registered an FIR against the two individuals with the Bengaluru police. The player had been allegedly approached by the bookies prior to India’s home series against England.
The two individuals in question against whom a case has been registered are Rakesh Bafna and Jitendra Kothari. The case has been registered under four different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including section 420, which pertains to cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.
Also read: “I don’t think about selection, it’s not in my hands”: Abhimanyu Easwaran
The news was confirmed by Ajit Singh Shekhawat, head of BCCI’s ACU in an interview to Sportstar. He said:
“Today, we have got an FIR registered against two people in Bengaluru. The FIR pertains to an approach that was made to one of the women cricketers of the team. She reported the approach to us and even recorded the conversation she had with one of the accused over the telephone.”
Ruse as a sports manager
Kothari allegedly approached the women’s cricketer claiming to be a sports manager. The approach happened when the player was undergoing recovery sessions at the NCA in Bengaluru. He then introduced her to Bafna who asked her to fix matches.
Shekhawat further stated on the incident:
“Kothari was trying to sell himself as the manager of various women cricketers. It was he who introduced Bafna to the player. He approached her to fix matches and play according to the script.”
Shekhawat concluded, saying that women’s cricketers should be careful of such approaches in the future. He also added that this incident serves as a timely reminder of the menace of the bookies which looms at large.
“People involved in betting just need any cricket match, for them, it does not matter at what level it is being played. If a match is telecast, that helps them in betting and that’s why they indulge in spot-fixing.”
