Shamila Batohi, who worked for the King Commission, is Indian by origin. The lawyer's ancestors hailed from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, but she came to India for the first time, only in 1996.

"It was more of a tourist trip. I went to Agra, Jaipur, Goa and a whole lot of places. But this visit is different. I have not found time even for shopping," Batohi told rediff.com's Onkar Singh. in an exclusive interview on Thursday morning at the coffee shop at the Taj Palace hotel.

"When I came here I thought of going to room 346 where the whole matchfixing thing began, but I decided against staying in the room," she said. An advocate from Durban, she has been practicing law for 15 years. Her husband Raj comes from Bihar; the couple has two children. She was recently appointed provincial head of public prosecutions, but she denied that the appointment has anything to do with her assignment for the King Commission.

What was your immediate reaction when you discovered that the Delhi police had registered a case against Hansie Cronje for fixing a match?

If you are talking about my immediate reaction as an individual, I guess it was the same as that of most people -- that this was impossible. He was a very good captain and he was a good sportsman. Nobody could believe he could do such a thing. I was amazed myself, like most people in South Africa and India.

That perception must have changed as the proceedings in the King Commission revealed more and more about Cronje.

He admitted what he had done long before the King Commission proceedings began. People were totally shocked and devastated. Though he still has a lot of support, he has lost a sizeable number of supporters.

Were you surprised when you were selected to be the chief prosecutor?

Let me clarify I am not the prosecutor as is being reported in the media. It is not a trial, but an investigation. I am leader of the evidence for the King Commission. I was surprised when the offer was made to me. Initially, I turned down the offer, but later I decided to take it up.

Is it true that many South Africans were angry at the way you asked Cronje pointed questions?

I don't think this was anger. Some people did not realise I was doing my job. A lot of people are not happy that I questioned their national hero. What they did realise is I have no personal vendetta against Hansie Cronje or anyone else. I was simply doing my job. On the other hand, there has been a lot of support for what I am doing.

How do you like India?

I love India. This is not my first trip, but my second. In 1996 I was here for a month. That was more of a tourist trip. I went to Mumbai, Agra, Jaipur, Bangalore, Mysore, Goa. I went right up to Nepal. I went to Kathmandu. But this trip is totally different. I came to Mumbai on Saturday, September 16, and spent the weekend there before flying into Delhi on Sunday evening.

You sneaked into India?

I would say I sneaked out of South Africa. Everyone is surprised that a female is investigating a male game. I was trying to avoid the media hype, but I knew this was going to come out at some stage. That is why I sneaked out of South Africa and quietly landed in Mumbai to spend a weekend there.

Did you meet police officers in Mumbai?

No, this was just a stopover to meet my high commissioner who happened to be in Mumbai on that day. I did not discuss anything with the police officials in Mumbai because we are only interested in the South African affair.

Do you feel the Delhi police might be tapping your phone like they did with Cronje?

I am very sensitive to this matter of tapping phones, so I don't talk to people on the phone at all.

On Wednesday you said you knew that you were not going to get the tapes from the Delhi police. Did you knew that before you came to India?

I am not going to discuss anything to do with the proceedings of the King Commission.

Do you think Cronje will be prosecuted?

I would not like to say anything on the matter.

When does the King Commission resume its hearings?

Initially, it was going to resume its hearings from October 2. But I guess this is going to get delayed for a week or so. We were hoping to wrap up the hearings by the end of October; now this might be delayed.

Do you think the punishment given to Hershelle Gibbs and the other South African players was harsh?

I am bound by an oath and I am not going to say anything on this matter.

How would you describe your visit to India? Would you say it has been successful because you managed to get certified transcripts from the Delhi police?

That was the main purpose of my visit. So I can say it was a success. What has helped us more is that we now have links with the Delhi police and the CBI. The degree of suspicion and uncertainty that was there earlier has now gone. We have established very good contacts. We have exchanged information. The information I have got will certainly help us in our investigations.

Isn't it a no win, no loss situation because you are unwilling to give what the Delhi police wants, and in turn the Delhi police is unwilling to give you what you want?

No, that is not true. We are not unwilling to give what they want. They want voice samples of Hansie Cronje. We have a law whereby you cannot force someone to give his voice samples. The two junior courts have given their verdict that an individual can be forced to give voice samples against his wish. The matter is now pending in the highest court of the land. We are waiting for the judgment.

What if the court says no?

Then we cannot do anything about it.

Have you applied to the Indian courts for the Cronje tapes to be released?

No, we have not applied so far. We are looking into the matter. If need be, our high commission can do so on our behalf.

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