08 January,2011 08:52 AM IST | | J Dey
To avoid a repeat of IPLgate, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has its eyes peeled on the IPL auctions that begin today in Bangalore and the transactions following that.
Sleuths from the body attached to the Finance Ministry's Department of Revenue are strictly following instructions laid down by a Joint Parliamentary Committee to watch out for possible irregular practices during the matches scheduled for April-May this year.
A senior ED official told MiD DAY that they will be minutely watching the bidding process involving high profile players to keep tabs on who is paid how much. The Directorate is also looking into the possibility of major match-fixing syndicates being active.
An expert team comprising a former finance minister and senior ED officials has laid down the instructions. Members from the Ministries of Home and Finance were also present at the meeting when issues related to the IPL were discussed late last month.
The close vigil will ensure that Foreign Exchange Management Acts (FEMA) rules are adhered to, and violations like siphoning off money and hawala transactions are kept in check during the matches, lasting around 45 days.
Clear the arrears
The JPC has advised ED to find ways to pin defaulters in the last IPL tournaments. Several franchises had allegedly flouted rules and routed their money to tax havens across the globe during the last IPL matches.
The ED officers in Mumbai are still investigating cases where the provisions of FEMA were bypassed by few franchisees to make payments to overseas players.
This time, however, new rules are being formulated to trail the flow of black money in and out of the country.
Under ED's scanner
The development assumes significance in light of the fact that members of match-fixing syndicates in London have pointed a finger at Indian kingpins for their alleged role in hawala transactions and possible match-fixing.
ED sources said top on their watch list are Mumbai-based Arjun and Shoban Kalachowkie, suspected of a nexus with Pakistani bookmakers and their touts.
There are other big bookies operating under the names of Kothari and Manoj Metro.
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Names like Subash Indore, Mukesh Dilli, Sunil Dilli, Julie, Pinky and Virendra Kolkata, are also under the agency's scanner.
Insiders said that sensitive information collected by the agencies has been kept on hold as further investigations could lead to the bigwigs involved in the matches.
After scrutinising some phone records, investigators said that some socialites, acting at the behest of the bookmakers, have been calling cricketers during the matches.
Ek Cutting!
Bookie names
There are currently about 400 bookies active in the city's gambling circles. Most are named after the suburbs they are based in. Some famous ones are:
Arjun and Shoban Kalachowkie, Shenaz Ghatkopar, Ashwin Ghatkopar, Bharat Borivli, Ajay Ganda Borivli, Kushal Malad, Jitu Kandivli, Agarwal Malad, and Navin Thane.
Others from across the nation include Sunil Dilli, Mukesh Dilli, Virendra Kolkata, Subash Indore, Virendra Jaipur, Dimple Dilli, Uttam Madras, and Jhabroo Kolkata.
Rs 850 cr
The average amount that was reportedly bet on each of the 60 matches in the March-April 2010 edition of IPL
