Spot-fixing scandal: Raj Kundra quizzed

New Delhi: Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra and his business partner-friend Umesh Goenka were questioned for several hours on Wednesday in connection with the IPL spot-fixing scandal and allegations that Kundra was into betting.

The questioning also came following the claims made by a cricketer Sidharth Tiwari and to know about the ownership pattern of the team.

A senior Delhi Police official refused to clear the air on Kundra, who said he owns 11.7 per cent stake in Rajasthan Royals, whether he is a "suspect or complainant", stating he was an "important person" needed for questioning.

Police sources claimed that Kundra was into betting but not into fixing. Their questioning was basicly into betting, police sources said.

The questioning of both Kundra and Goenka began around 10 am and continued till late in the evening.

Sources said the name of Goenka, with whom Kundra owns a company dealing in steel business, came during the recording of statement of Rajasthan Royal player Sidharth Trivedi, a prosecution witness in the case.

In his statement recorded before a magistrate, sources said, Trivedi claimed that Goenka approached him and sought details about the cricket pitch in Ahmedabad and details about team formations.

According to police sources, Kundra was called over phone to appear before investigators who wanted to ask about the ownership details of Rajasthan Royals.

"Kundra told police that he owned 11.7 per cent while Suresh Chelaram, co-brother of Lalit Modi owned 43 per cent and Manoj Badale has 34 per cent. Rupert Murdoch`s son Lalchan Murdoch also has stake in the team," a senior police official said.

Kundra, a British national, has 42 per cent stake in the steel business with Goenka who has 16 per cent shares in the firm, they said.

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IPL 6: KKR stay afloat as Pune limp to 11th defeat in IPL 6

Pune: Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders scored a convincing 46-run win over an ever-struggling Pune Warriors here on Thursday, to keep alive their outside hopes of qualifying for the play-off stage of the ongoing Pepsi Indian Premier League.


Opting to bat, KKR first rode on skipper Gautam Gambhir`s 50 and a late surge by Ryan ten Doeschate (31 off 21) to post a challenging 152 for six, and then dished out a clinical bowling performance to bowl out Pune for 106 in 19.3 overs.

By virtue of this win, KKR has moved up to 10 points from 12 games. But in order to stand in with an outside chance of making it to the play-offs, the defending champions need to win all their remaining three games.

Pune witnessed a horrible start to their run chase as their batsmen found the going tough against a disciplined KKR attack and scored just 41 runs for the loss of three wickets at the halfway stage.

Pune lost skipper Aaron Finch, star player Yuvraj Singh and Udit Birla in quick succession.

While Finch was bowled by Jacques Kallis (2/27), Yuvraj nicked an away going Laxipathy Balaji (3/19) delivery to Manvinder Bisla behind the stumps.

Birla`s stay at the crease was a struggle which finally came to an end when Iqbal Abdulla (2/26) went through his defence.

Robin Uthappa (31 off 35) tried hard to hung in there but the ever-climbing asking rate finally took its toll on him. He was caught by Gambhir at backward point off Abdullah.

Angelo Mathews played a rearguard 28-ball 40-run knock but that was not enough to save Pune from slumping to its 11th defeat in the tournament.

Mathews decorated his innings with four huge sixes before perishing in search of quick runs.

Earlier, Pune wasted a good start by leaking runs in the death overs to allow Kolkata Knight Riders post the challenging total.

KKR were in a spot of bother at 99 for five at one stage, but Pune bowlers gave away a whopping 53 runs in the final four overs to help the visitors cross the 150-run mark.

KKR reached fifty in quick time after electing to bat, thanks mainly to Gambhir (50 off 44).

Pune bowlers, however, managed to put brakes on KKR`s scoring by picking up wickets at regular intervals.

Bisla (12) was the first to depart stumped by Mahesh Rawat off Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/25).

Off-spinner Parveez Rasool (1/23), the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the IPL, leaked nine runs in his opening over.

But Rasool came back strongly in the next over and dismissed big man Kallis to pick up his first wicket of the tournament. Kallis was caught by Mathews at short cover of a fuller delivery from the off-spinner.

Gambhir, however, was steady at the other end and notched up his fifty in 43 balls with the help of six boundaries.

But Mitchell Marsh`s (2/7) two wickets in two overs changed the equation. Marsh first accounted for Eoin Morgan, who scored a run-a-ball 15, and then an over later he picked up the crucial wicket of Gambhir, caught by Mathews.

Yusuf Pathan too did not help his side`s cause as he departed cheaply. He edged one to wicket-keeper Rawat off Kumar while going for a booming cut.

With KKR in a tight corner, it took a quickfire knock from ten Doeschate, who played his first IPL match this year, to bail the visitors out.

Ten Doeschate used his long handle to great effect and smashed Mathews for a six and two fours to pick up 17 runs off the 17th over.

Ten Doeschate and Manoj Tiwary added 38 runs in 3 overs to provide some momentum to KKR`s innings.

Ten Doeschate finally perished, caught by Krishnakant Uphadyay off Kumar but not before decorating his 21-ball knock with three fours and one six.

Towards the end, Tiwary (15 not out off 10) and Rajat Bhatia (13 not out off 5) played short cameos to help KKR.

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Disciplinary committee has made mockery of proceedings: Modi

New Delhi: Former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi on Tuesday came down heavily on the three-member Disciplinary Committee, probing alleged irregularities against him, saying the panel has made a "mockery of the proceedings".

The committee, after recording versions of lawyers representing Modi and the BCCI, said it is likely to give its recommendations to the BCCI by the end of May.

"In hurry to conclude, committee has made mockery of the proceedings. My lawyers wanted one session each to deal with 12 issues," Modi tweeted.

"They have made this enquiry - A SHAM EXERCISE A whole New ways to do Judicial inquiry," he wrote on his twitter handle.

A legal team representing Modi has objected to "undue haste" by the Committee, and he sought to bring it to light.

"Looks like everything is predetermined. What is the undue haste for. Why this hurry. What are they afraid of. Possibly the truth," Modi said.

Directing his ire at the Cricket Board, Modi said, "Even if BCCI were to read headings of documents it would have taken 2 full days to only read heading of those documents.

"Three show cause notices running in 150 pages, my reply running in 15000 pages, live evidence record running into 2000 pages.

"Amazing how BCCI lawyers yesterday took only 40 minutes to argue its full case against me."

Commenting further against the board, Modi said, "BCCI dictates that no member or administrator gives evidence to bring out the truth.

"The persons who wish to appear on my behalf are stopped by BCCI acting under instruction of its President - Srinivasan.

"My application to examine witnesses in defence is not allowed by the committee."

Modi also took potshots at Arun Jaitley Arun Jaitley, one of the three members in the Disciplinary Committee.

"While suit against bias of Arun Jaitley is pending in court, he shows undue haste 2 close proceedings so that I cannot have legal remedy," he wrote.

"Let me tell the truth of these proceedings. The fact that Arun Jaitley was the original complainant in the BCCI was suppressed from me," Modi said.

He said the committee was scared to face him.

"I am not afraid to face the committee, but looks like committee is afraid to face me. And from my legal team.

"The inquiry was instituted against me but looks like the committee does not wish to hear my version," Modi said.

Modi`s legal team had earlier accused the Disciplinary Committee of ignoring its request to present its defence in the case.

"I am constrained to note the working of the committee. It declined to give Modi a chance to present his case via video link. The committee has already refused to take Modi`s response to show-cause notices issued to him saying it was 32 hours late," said Mehmood M Abdi, General Counsel and Constituted Attorney of Modi.

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