IPL spot-fixing: BCCI bans Sreesanth, Chavan for life; Harmeet exonerated

The BCCI’ s Disciplinary Committee has handed life bans to Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan today for their role in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing case after considering the report filed by Ravi Sawani, the board’s Anti-Corrution chief. The committee, comprising N Srinivasan, Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah, examined the report inquiring into the allegations of match-fixing against the players, in New Delhi. The players were also given a chance to present their side of the story. [caption id=“attachment_1107621” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Sreesanth being escorted to court by the police in May. Reuters[/caption] Two other players also received bans for their roles in the operation, the board said in a statement. Former Rajasthan Royals player Amit Singh was given a five year ban “from playing any representative Cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates,” while current RR player Siddarth Trivedi was banned for one year. Meanwhile “the case against Mr. Harmeet Singh has been closed in the absence of evidence against him,” the board said. Harmeet’s lawyer, Ashok Paranjpe of MDP & Partners in Mumbai had sent a written reply to the board outlining his client’s innocence. While Harmeet had admitted to meeting some of Chandila’s friends on one particular night, he had told the police and the BCCI that he had no idea what they were planning and never met them again. Harmeet also did not receive any gifts or money from Chandila or his friends. In his statement to the Delhi Police, Harmeet said he became concerned when the Chandila and his friend, who he lated discovered was a bookie, started talking about how young he was and how he should play a few more games to get some confidence. He quickly said he did not “do these kinds of things” and the subject then changed, according to the 21-year-old’s statement. Chandila went on to mention to his bookie friend that he would not be able to get Shane Watson or Ajinkya Rahane to join them, but he had Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan on his side already. In deference to his “senior”, Harmeet did not ask any questions and never met Chandila’s friends again.