At least four more bookies from Mumbai are under the scanner of the Delhi police’s special cell for their suspected involvement in the spot-fixing scandal in the IPL. The Mumbai police is also considering booking them under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Additionally, the Mumbai police nabbed two more persons, including a bookie, on Friday related to the spot-fixing scandal and booked them under non-bailable offences.
Praveen Behra, a bookie, was arrested from Bhandup, while Niraj Shah, who works in an Airtel retail store, was nabbed from south Mumbai. Mr Shah accepted fake documents from Behra and provided him with the SIM cards used by the other bookies.
On Tuesday night, the Mumbai crime branch had arrested Ramesh Bajranglal Vyas (52), who they believe is an acting link between the bookies who were in direct touch with players and the masterminds who were operating out of Dubai and Pakistan.
Last year in May, the crime branch had busted a bookie racket in Kandivali following which the name of Sunil Dubai cropped up as being the mastermind. A red corner notice was issued against Dubai, who operates from Dubai and is said to be a trusted aide of Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. Dubai’s anticipatory bail was recently rejected by the sessions court this year.
During investigation, the crime branch found out that Vyas too worked for Dubai. On the question of whether these bookies related to Dubai could be booked under MCOCA, a senior crime branch official said, “We are contemplating that.”
Meanwhile, it is learnt that Dubai owns properties in Dubai, Karachi, Delhi and a building in Mumbai near Mantralaya. A crime branch official, however, refused to comment on whether these properties had been sealed as yet.
When asked about the three girls who were in cricketer car when he was arrested, a crime branch official said, “We are not probing this angle, ask the Delhi police.”