IPL spot-fixing: Mumbai Police fail to meet CSK CEO at his house, serve summons

Chennai, May 23: CEO of Chennai Super Kings, Gurunath Meiyappan has been asked to appear tomorrow in Mumbai before Crime Branch police there in connection with the IPL betting scandal, police said today.

Two Mumbai Crime Branch officials, who arrived here this morning to quiz Meyiyappan with whom arrested Bollywood actor Vindoo Randhawa was allegedly in touch, were also believed to have served summons to Meiyappan through his secretary at his Boat Club residence in this connection, they said.

Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan, has been asked to appear before Mumbai crime branch between 11 am and 5 pm, Joint Commissioner Crime Branch Himanshu Roy said in Mumbai.

Mystery shrouded the whereabouts of Meiyappan as some reports said he had left for Kolkata, while some said he had stayed back in New Delhi after witnessing the first play-off between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians on Tuesday. Some reports indicated he was already in Mumbai.

According to police, the call records of Randhawa, son of late wrestler-actor Dara Singh, who was arrested in the IPL betting case on Tuesday, indicated he had made several calls to Chennai and some to Meiyappan.

"Vindoo made several calls to Meiyappan of the Chennai IPL. We may call the person in question to ascertain the reasons why these frequent calls were made," an officer involved in the probe had said.

The actor was arrested for his alleged association with bookies. Vindoo, winner of reality TV show Bigg Boss season 3, was allegedly in touch with some bookies held in the scandal.

He also reportedly admitted to having facilitated the escape of two bookies Pawan Jaipur and Sanjay Jaipur to Dubai from Mumbai on May 17,who had gone underground to evade arrest after Mumbai police busted the international betting racket with arrest of key bookie Ramesh Vyas and 3 others on May 14.

The IPL found itself embroiled in a controversy after speedster S Sreesanth and two Rajasthan Royals team mates were arrested last week by police, which claimed they received upto Rs 60 lakh from bookies for bowling one manipulated over.

A special cell of Delhi police arrested Sreesanth and his teammates -- Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan -- in Mumbai on Thursday last for indulging in spot-fixing in at least three IPL matches as per arrangements with bookies, who have underworld connections abroad.