IPL spot-fixing: SC agrees to hear petition, will today's match be stopped?

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a PIL filed before it seeking a stay on the semi-final and final IPL matches until a probe is initiated.  A bench of justices B S Chauhan and Deepak Misra posted the matter for further hearing at 2 pm. On Monday, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe spot fixing and other alleged irregularities in IPL 2013, apart from a stay on remaining matches. The petitioner, a Lucknow resident, has made all IPL franchises and BCCI party in the case along with the Centre. “There are many irregularities in the IPL beginning from auction of players. Black money and money from anti-social elements are involved in the IPL which needs to be probed,” advocate Vishnu Jain, who filed the petition, said. The petition sought a stay on remaining four matches including final match of the IPL till the probe is completed. Interestingly, the first play-off will be held on Tuesday between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at 8 pm. Jain field the petition on behalf of one Sudarsh Awasthi who claims to be an architect. IPL last week found itself engulfed in a sensational spot-fixing scandal after Indian paceman S Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates - Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - were arrested by the Delhi Police which claimed that the trio received up to Rs 60 lakh from bookies for bowling manipulated overs. BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit chief Ravi Sawani, who is also heading the commission of inquiry into the allegations against the three players, met senior Delhi Police officials today. “I had a very useful meeting with the Delhi Commissioner of Police,” he said after the meeting. “The BCCI has assured him of cooperation in the case. I also told him of Rajasthan Royals’ intention to file an FIR in the case,” he added. With PTI inputs