CORRUPTION IN THE IPL

                    'BCCI may not mess with court again'

The IPL is no stranger to controversy, but on May 16 it met arguably its biggest crisis when Delhi Police arrested three Rajasthan Royals players - Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - soon after their match in Mumbai for spot-fixing. Eleven bookies were also arrested at that time, including one - Amit Singh - who was a former Royals player. Royals later suspended their players and the BCCI set up an inquiry, headed by its ACSU chief Ravi Sawani, into the allegations. The board also announced enhanced anti-corruption measures, including two more security personnel with each team. The arrests kicked off a nation-wide search and arrest of bookmakers - betting is illegal in India. One of those picked up in Mumbai was a small-time actor, Virender "Vindoo" Dara Singh, arrested on charges of links with bookmakers. His testimony led the police to arrest, on May 24, Gurunath Meiyappan, a top official of Chennai Super Kings and son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan. Delhi Police eventually chargesheeted the players, among 39 persons, under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, while the BCCI handed out life bans to Sreesanth and Chavan after Sawani's probe found them guilty of fixing.