The government's investigation authorities have begun looking for evidence of betting, particularly on games featuring Kings' XI, Punjab, says a Times of India report.
The report quoting well-placed sources confirmed that investigators have received information that bets were placed on the Mohali-based team.
Incidentally, Modi's son-in-law, Gaurav Burman, is a co-promoter of Kings' XI. (His Global Cricket Ventures (GCV) also has digital and mobile rights for the IPL and Champions Trophy for the next seven years.)Also on the radar is a company that owns a private jet even though its Icelandic registration listed its capital worth as a modest $100, the Times report said.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Mirror reported that the I-T officials are looking into evidence indicating that some senior IPL officials placed bets with international websites on match results.
Income-Tax officers investigating IPL for alleged financial irregularities and flaws in its bidding process, are looking into evidence indicating that some senior members of the league had placed bets on the results of the matches with registered betting websites overseas.
The websites, says the Mirror report, are international brands such as UK-based Ladbrokes and William Hill. “We are looking into the matter. Preliminary investigations suggest that there is something of this nature going on,” one of the officers who is a part of the investigating team told Mumbai Mirror.
Official sources said some other legal betting websites being used were www.paddypower.com and www.lambipaari.com. In some cases, the bets were placed through agents in other countries via cell phone from the stadium itself.
While these allegations are only of placing bets, and not of match-fixing, they are being taken seriously because of a natural conflict of interest if people in position to influence the league are themselves profiting from it.
“We cannot take any names at this stage,” said an I-T officer when asked who the officials were. “If any unquestionable link is established, we will turn over all the data to the Foreign Trade Division (FTD) in New Delhi for further examination.”
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