IPL spot-fixing: Paid Ajit Chandila Rs 20 lakh, says bookie

Delhi- based bookie Ashwin Agarwal alias Tinku Mandi who was arrested by the Delhi Police in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, told a city court yesterday that he had paid R 20 lakh to cricketer Ajit Chandila. Tinku also said he had met Chandila's Rajasthan Royal teammate Ankeet Chavan in Delhi on March 28.

Tinku was brought to Mumbai on Saturday where he was produced in court. Magistrate A A Khan remanded him to police custody till June 6.

Officials of Mumbai police crime branch are now trying to trace his links with IPL players other than Chandila. Cops are also hoping Tinku, who too had links with fellow bookie Jiju Janardan, would be able to throw light on cricketer Sreesanth's role in the betting racket. Janardan is a close friend of Sreesanth's.

Crime branch sources said on March 28 Tinku had a meeting with Chandila and Ankeet Chavan in Delhi where he handed over the money to the former.

Crime Branch sources also revealed that Tinku and bookie Chandresh Patel alias Chandubhai, also known as Jupiter Malad in bookie circles, had rented a flat in Gurgaon. Tinku was earlier employed with a bookie called Mandi. Later he started his own betting business and called himself Tinku Mandi.

Investigating officers told SMD that Tinku was known to have a powerful hold over a lot of bookies in Delhi and Mumbai and even top Mumbai bookies such as Shobhan Mehta alias Shobhan Kalachowie were betting through Tinku Mandi. Kalachowkie is currently on the run and is wanted in the IPL spot-fixing scam.