Rajasthan Royals cricketer Siddharth Trivedi, who is a prosecution witness in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) spot fixing scandal, was asked by several bookies to spot fix matches, a police officer said.
Trivedi, 30, a right-handed batsman and medium-pace bowler, revealed the information during his questioning by Delhi Police.u00a0
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Trivedi, who had played for Gujarat in Ranji Trophy for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, was questioned by Delhi Police Thursday.
"During questioning, his role in criminal activities like spot fixing has been ruled out. As he had provided several information about some fixers and players, he has been made a prosecution witness," said the official.
Rajasthan Royals player Sidharth Trivedi will be a prosecution witness in the IPL spot-fixing case in which three players of his team have been arrested.
30-year-old Trivedi, a pacer, had refused to accept an invitation by Ajit Chandila, a player arrested on charges of spot-fixing, to attend a party arranged by bookies. He had also refused money and gifts offered by the bookies.
"He is being made a prosecution witness," a senior police official said.
Investigators believe that Trivedi's deposition in the case will make their case stronger. Chandila had approached Bradd Hodge and Kevin Cooper of Rajasthan Royals to attend the bookies' party but they had also rejected the invitation.u00a0
Trivedi's statement was noted in the Saket court Friday.
Sidharth Trivedi. Pic/ Suresh K.K.
The official said that Trivedi, whose IPL teammates colleagues S. Sreesant, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila have been arrested, was offered money for spot fixing.
Trivedi was contacted by former Rajasthan Royals player Amit Singh for the first time in 2010. Singh was arrested as a bookie in the IPL spot fixing.
During a J.P. Atray Memorial Cricket tournament played in Chandigarh in September 2010, Trivedi was contacted by some bookies -- including Deepak Kumar, who has been arrested by Delhi Police.
Sources said it was Trivedi who introduced Chandila to Rajasthan Royals when the management was looking for a spinner for the team. Chandila and Trivedi along with Chavan were playing for Air India cricket team.
From 2010 onwards, bookies were trying to woo him and Amit Singh, a former player who was arrested, had then approached him. "Trivedi met some bookies, including Deepak, during a tournament in Chandigarh in 2010. He was given gifts like clothes and perfumes.
The next year,u00a0Sunilu00a0Bhatia approached him," the official said.
Besides the three Rajasthan Royals players, Bollywood actor VindU Dara Singh and the Indian cricket board president's son-in-law Guru Meiyappan for spot fixing and betting in cricket have also been arrested.u00a0
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