Former IPS officer says he couldn't complete investigation into alleged player-bookie nexus due to 'lack of evidence'

New Delhi: Former IPS officer BB Misra, who was a member of the Justice Mukul Mudgal panel that probed the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, Thursday said that he couldn’t complete investigation into the alleged player-bookie nexus due to “lack of evidence”. During his tenure as member of the Mudgal panel, Misra was carrying out investigations into the allegation that a top India player was in touch with a bookie. [caption id=“attachment_4375939” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational Image. Getty Images[/caption] “Yes, I was investigating a lead that I got about a top India player being in touch with a bookie. However, I didn’t have enough evidence,” Misra told PTI from Bhubaneswar on Friday. “Let me clarify time was never an issue as Supreme Court was very co-operative and had we sought more time, we would have got that. But since the bookie in question didn’t part with evidence, I had no option but to stop investigations,” Misra said. Did he speak to the player in question? “I didn’t speak to just one player but multiple players. Let’s leave it that.” Misra claimed that he got in touch with the bookie during the his investigations and he promised to hand over all the evidences. “But when I asked for the evidence, he backtracked saying that a lot of dangerous people were involved and he feared for his life. “He chose not to part with the evidence that he claimed to have in his possession. I had to close the investigation. So again I must state that time was never an issue,” Misra said. On whether he met the bookie in person, he replied “Let’s not get there.” Misra said that conjectures shouldn’t be drawn about what is written about the nine players in the sealed envelope that the Mudgal committee submitted to the Supreme Court at the end of its probe. Misra also said that he is ready to share all his investigative leads with the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit chief Ajit Singh, who has been in touch with him. “Ajit Singh was my senior in Indian Police Service. When he called me after reports emerged, I told him ‘sir I am shifting base from Delhi to Bhubaneswar and I will need some time to settle down’,” said Misra. “Once I settled down, I called Mr Singh but he was in Dubai for the Asia Cup. That was the last I heard from him. Now I will be writing a mail that I am ready to discuss my findings at that point in time,” said Misra.