Posing as kin of budding cricketer, Harit N Joshi helps expose conmen running selection trial camp for Kings XI Punjab; cops arrest trio, launch manhunt for mastermind
mid-day investigation You have heard about the Fake IPL Player. Now, learn about a fake IPL trial camp. The Indian Premier League (IPL) is back in the news... again for the wrong reasons! On Wednesday, mid-day busted a racket concerning a selection trial conducted at the Oval Maidan in Churchgate, where candidates were told that they could eventually make the Kings XI Punjab team for next year's edition of the Twenty20 league.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ravindra Gupta and Harvinder Singh (right) speak to a policeman at the Oval Maidan yesterday
Tipped off about the so-called selection trial on Tuesday night, mid-day reached the Oval Maidan at 7.30 am yesterday to find Harvinder Singh, Satendra Singh and Ravindra Gupta alias Ravinder Garg on the ground, waiting for trainees to arrive.
Also read - Mumbai Crime: 6 CCI employees held for Rs 1.15-crore fraud
The banner of the fake selection trial conducted at the Oval Maidan. Pics/Bipin Kokate
More than 15 aspirants approached the trio; they were told to shell out Rs 2,500 each at the time of registration. A few of them paid and got set to bowl and bat. Some merely got into action without paying.
Busted on field
mid-day accompanied an aspiring left-arm spinner to the tent at the High Court-end of the ground and met Harvinder, Satendra and Gupta, who revealed details about the camp. While the young spinner was on the field, they said he could be part of a camp in Chandigarh if he impressed them here. When mid-day asked whether the bowler could be part of the IPL, they said his fitness needed to improve, suggesting a high-protein diet, so that he could be fit to be tested further at the all-India camp in Chandigarh. If the selectors liked the lad's talent, he would be selected for the Kings Cup, where he would be watched by the likes of Virender Sehwag, the Kings XI Punjab Director of Cricket Operations.
A fake selection trial conducted at the Oval Maidan where candidates were told that they could eventually make the Kings XI Punjab team for next year’s edition of the Indian Premier League
Smelling a rat, mid-day called up the franchise's Chief Executive Officer Satish Menon to check whether this was indeed his selection camp. An alarmed Menon replied in the negative and informed the Marine Drive police station, from where policemen arrived in 20 minutes, just as Harvinder, Satendra and Gupta were getting ready to wrap up the camp.
Also read - IPL scam: Delhi Police challenges discharge of all accused
Harvinder Singh and Ravindra Gupta
The trio was asked to produce relevant documents and permission to conduct a camp on behalf of Kings XI Punjab. Unconvinced, the police took them to the police station and arrested them.
Scam starts on social media
Satendra had shared the announcement of the trial camp on his Facebook page recently, with the post generating interest amongst IPL aspirants. Nearly 50 had inquired about the trials. Players had also shared it on WhatsApp with their friends, which resulted in aspirants turning up from as far as Telangana, Pune and Navi Mumbai.
He had also boasted that a similar trial was held in Aurangabad a few weeks ago, which saw a larger turnout. And a pitch was booked at Pune's Balewadi Sports Complex to conduct a trial on November 10, 15 and 30.
In their interrogation, the police found out that Aditya Bhandari, who had reportedly been booked for a cricket coaching-related fraud in Amritsar in 2014, was the alleged mastermind. Police sources said he was the one who had contacted Harvinder and Gupta, who were unemployed in New Delhi, to work for his Arnav Cricket Academy.
Also read - IPL scam: SC rejects BCCI's panel, asks Justice Mudgal to continue probe
Their task along with Mumbai-based Satendra was to conduct the trials for Kings Cup. The police are on the lookout for him.
"It is completely illegal and we oppose it. We have filed an FIR; let the legal case take over for further proceedings against them," said Menon, who stressed that there was no way a camp for their franchise could be held in Mumbai because the city does not come under their catchment area as per BCCI rules.
Also view: Bizarre! 8 freak accidents that resulted in death
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
