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Dhindsa furious over leak of match-fixing report

Union Minister of Sports Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa was furious when he read reports about match-fixing in the media on Saturday morning. He immediately called a senior official of the Central Bureau of Investigation and wanted to know why the report was leaked to the media when he had already announced that it would be first tabled in Parliament.

According to sources close to Dhindsa, the sports minister blew up when he saw the names of some Indian cricketers being mentioned.

"This is not done," he said to his close aide and asked him to find out if CBI Director R K Raghavan was in New Delhi.

Later he told newsmen that he was surprised when he saw the names of Mohammed Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, Manoj Prabhakar and Ajay Sharma mentioned in media reports. "Naturally I was taken aback when I read the reports. I was not happy about the way the report was leaked to some favourite journalists by the CBI," Dhindsa said.

When asked about the veracity of the report, Dhindsa refused to comment saying he had not read the report. "How can I tell you whether it is correct or not? I do not even know what the report contains. I had told the CBI that they should hand over the report to us. Then I will study the report and take a legal opinion. Eventually the report will be tabled in Parliament because the probe was ordered only after some members had demanded for a CBI probe," he said.

When asked whether there was any pressure on him, Dhindsa said, "There was no pressure. I don't know what pressure is. I announced the probe because people love cricket and they wanted to know the truth. For more than four months the CBI has been on the job. They have prepared the report. Let them hand it over and I will decide the next course of action. Of course the report will be tabled in Parliament. Make no mistake about it," he emphasised.

According to the minister what has been printed might not be fully right. "How do you know that this is the real report? There might be some portions which may not be true," he hinted.

When asked if former Indian captain Kapil Dev had met him, Dhindsa said Kapil had met him only once to request that the CBI expedite the report. "After that he never got in touch with me," the minister said.

When asked what action will be taken against those found guilty, he said, "My intention is not to send cricketers to jail because they have played for the country and done us proud. My purpose was to cleanse the game once and for all so that the people do not lose faith. I am sure the report will do the game a lot of good," he added.

CBI sources meanwhile said the bureau will be handing over the match-fixing report to the sports minister next week.

Former BCCI president I S Bindra who walked into the sports minister's office while he was speaking to newsmen, refused to comment on the report.

"Let me clarify that when I spoke to CNN I told the media what Manoj Prabhakar had told me. I am not against Kapil Dev. I am not against any particular player. I was against match-fixing. I have come to discuss the hosting of the national games by Punjab next year," Bindra said.

Lok Sabha member and former cricketer Kirti Azad too refused to comment on the reports. "I have not seen the reports. But I do intend to hold a press conference on the issue shortly," he told rediff.com. Azad had helped Prabhakar in raising the match-fixing issue against Kapil Dev and took Prabhakar to meet some ministers.

Both Kapil and Prabhakar evaded the press throughout the day. Their wives took the calls. While Romi Dev said that Kapil had gone to play golf, Mrs Prabhakar said her husband would be available in the office.

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