New Delhi:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun its preliminary inquiry into the
spot-fixing scandal that has marred the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The ED has written to Delhi Police - which is also probing the spot-fixing case - about conducting inquiries under the Money Laundering Act. The agency's inquiry is based reported revelations made by a bookie, Ramesh Vyas, who was arrested last month by Mumbai Police who termed him as a "prized catch".
Vyas reportedly told the police that for every IPL match, hawala transactions - Rs 150 crore for a high-profile game and Rs 100 crore for the relatively smaller ones - took place. After beneficiaries in India were paid, the remaining proceeds went into the kitty of the D-gang, he reportedly said.
The Delhi Police has already said that it has credible evidence that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his associate Chhota Shakeel control the alleged betting and spot-fixing in IPL. They have named the duo as co-accused in the case and have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act or MCOCA against the underworld bosses.
Vyas, according to police sources, has links with Sunil Dubai, an alleged mediator between bookies and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees Ibrahim. 32 of the 92 phones seized during Vyas's arrest, in fact, had been used for calls, several which have been traced to Dubai and Pakistan.