Following a complaint from the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) over a purported attempt to manipulate matches during the current UP T20 League, the Lucknow police have filed a formal complaint.
In the run-up to Saturday, September 6’s final between the Kashi Rudras and Meerut Mavericks, the news shook the cricket community, as reported by Times Now.
A strange post from an Instagram user called “vipss_nakrani” was sent to Arjun Chauhan, the team manager for Kashi Rudra, according to the FIR, which was filed on August 31. Presenting himself as a prominent bookmaker, the sender promised a commission of Rs 50 lakh and offered Rs 1 crore to sway the outcome of the match.
The UP T20 League will end on September 6 after starting in Lucknow on August 17.
After the team manager gained ACU’s trust, a trap was set. Members of the ACU quickly obtained the accused’s phone number when they began conversing on Instagram. The accused insisted that players adhere to his instructions during games and mandated that they only use WhatsApp for calls and texts. Additionally, he guaranteed prompt payment in dollars or cash.
The accused stated that if they so desired, he and his associates would remain on the field for the duration of the game and would immediately process the payment to him after it was over. On a separate device, the ACU recorded every call and conversation, which has since been turned over to the police.
Police say the preliminary inquiry points to a planned betting and match-fixing plot. Police acknowledged that charges had been lodged under Section 3 of the Public Gambling Act, 1867, Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000, Sections 318, 319, 112, 62, and other provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Currently, investigators are trying to identify the Instagram profile owner and take down their network. The Lucknow Falcons and Kanpur Superstars advanced to the playoffs, in addition to the finals. The Kashi Rudras defeated the Meerut Mavericks by a margin of five runs in Qualifier 1. To advance to the summit match, the Mavericks defeated the Falcons by a margin of 19 runs.
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