The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), led by former CAG Vinod Rai, has written a letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate the fixing charges against Mohammed Shami. The CoA has asked the ACU to submit the report within a week.
Rai wrote to Kumar over the corruption allegations against Shami, whose central contract has been withheld by the BCCI in the wake of multiple accusations. The COA chief asked Kumar to submit a report within a week. It is to be noted that the letter nowhere mentions the word "match fixing".
"This has reference to the various media reports pertaining to allegations against Md. Shami. The Committee of Administrators has listened to the audio recording of a telephonic conversation which it is claimed is between Md. Shami and his wife. The said audio recording is available in public domain," Rai wrote in the letter, which is in possession of PTI.
"The Committee of Administrators is concerned only with such portion of the said audio recording in which the person who it is claimed is Md Shami is heard saying another person by the name of Mohammad Bhai had sent money to Md. Shami through a Pakistani lady by the name of 'Alisba'."
"Please investigate the above assertions/ allegations under the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code and submit a report to the Committee of Administrators with your findings as to whether there is any basis to proceed further in terms thereof."
Rai wrote that the terms of investigation should cover (i) "the identity and antecedents of Mohammad Bhai and Alisba; (ii) whether any money was in fact sent by the said Mohammad Bhai through the said Alisba to Md. Shami; and (iii) if yes, the purpose for which the said money was received by Md. Shami."
The investigation will be only about the corruption allegations, Rai asserted.
"The Committee of Administrators wishes to emphasize that the investigation be limited to the above issues only and not deal with any of the other allegations against Md. Shami unless you find that the same fall within the purview of the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code," he added.
Shami's wife Hasin Jahan has accused the India pacer of adultery, match-fixing and even attempt to murder.
A case was registered by Kolkata Police against Shami and four others on March 8 on charges of attempt to murder, rape, criminal intimidation, and causing hurt by means of poison after Jahan accused him of multiple extramarital affairs and domestic violence. She also accused the cricketer and his family of physical and mental torture.
Jahan had posted screenshots of Shami's alleged WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger conversations with multiple women on her Facebook account.
She also uploaded photos and phone numbers of the women.
Jahan alleged that Shami, 27, and members of his family had even tried to kill her.
"Everyone in their family used to torture me. His mother and brother used to abuse me. The tortures continued till 2-3 a.m. in the morning. They even wanted to kill me," she alleged.
Shami, who hails from Uttar Pradesh but represents Bengal in domestic tournaments, has denied the allegations, saying it was an attempt to derail his cricketing career.
The pacer found himself out of the Board of Control for Cricket in India 26-member annual contract system, which saw the addition of a new category.
(With PTI Inputs)
