A new twist to the Indian Premier League betting controversy sees Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf get entangled into the case after Ed Hawkins, author of the book Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy has written in his blog HawkEyeSpy that Rauf had allegedly placed bets on matches in which he himself was officiating.
The blog further reveals that Rauf has also received some presents from the bookies for allegedly leaking vital information regarding four matches in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.
It states that the Pakistan official has been linked with the same bookies to which Gurunath Meiyappan has also been revealed to have links with. It also says that between April 12, 2013 to May 17,2013 the police have intercepted 80 telephone conversations between Rauf and actor Vindoo Dara Singh during their investigation into the Meiyappan case. Vindoo Dara Singh is an actor who, according to this report, has links to bookies in India, Pakistan and Dubai.
The report claims that Asad Rauf himself place bets with Vindoo and he had also boasted of providing information to bookmakers named Pawan and Sanjay Jaipur, both of whom have been implicated in the spot-fixing scandal involving three Rajasthan Royals players.
The Polica have confirmed that the sim card Asad was using was subscribed in the name of Sunil Kumar Naryanan, who is believed to be “an acquaintance of bookie Sanjay Jaipur and provided to umpire Rauf by Sanjay Jaipur”. Rauf has allegedly had telephone conversations with bookies Prem Taneja, Pawan and Sanjay Jaipur.
In one such telephone conversation, Rauf asked Vindoo for a Rs 50,000 wager and he also taped giving pitch information, saying it is “difficult” for betting odds for the Rajasthan versus Chennai encounter on May 12, the game which the IPL Probe Committee has said needs to be investigated for suspicious activity.
On the very next day (May 13), Rauf tells Vindoo to place bets on both sides in the game between Mumbai and Hyderabad, assuring him that he is the TV umpire. He later boasts about getting the result spot on and discussed a gold chain that he was apparently promised for leaking valuable information.
On May 15, Rauf sounded at his confident best and told Vindoo “Aaj Zindagi Ki Har jeet Kar Lena”, which can be interpreted in this context as a golden opportunity to earn a fortune by placing bets. Vindoo then calls bookie Pawan Jaipur and assures him that the expenditure of all presents to Rauf “would recover in the match on that day” referring to the game between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. In another conversation, Rauf is heard saying that Kolkata‘s chase of 171 against Pune is “too stiff”.
The interceptions seem to end on May 16 2013 after Vindoo tells Asaf to destroy the sim card.
Asad Rauf, however, has consistently maintained his innocence claiming that “I have never compromised my job as an umpire by doing any cheating”, and that he didn’t place any bets or revealed any information regarding matches in the IPL.
“I have lots of friends and I am not accountable for what they do in their private life. Every other person gambles in this part of the world,” Rauf said.
