Cops probe Barate-bookie links

Mumbai: Investigation by the Mumbai crime branch in the case of cheating budding cricketers has led to links between main accused Vijay Barate and an alleged Delhi-based bookie Priyank Saxena.

The crime branch has taken their links under scanner to probe the diversion of funds raised by duping young cricketers. Barate was earlier associated with Indian Premier League (IPL) team Sunrisers Hyderabad and worked as a talent hunter for them. A United Kingdom-based tabloid recently conducted a sting in which Saxena was captured with a former under-19 Himachal Pradesh cricketer Sobers Joban claiming to fix international matches including the ongoing Ashes series in Australia.

The sting hinted towards the Ashes series being riddled with spot-fixing. Barate claimed that he worked as a talent hunter for Saxena.

However, crime branch sleuths suspect he is linked with Saxena’s betting activities. Barate and Saxena were in constant touch, via multiple phone calls, on a daily basis. “Barate and Saxena had multiple calls every day revealed Barate’s call detail records (CDR) of last one year. He has said that he has been in contact of Saxena since two years and helped in finding cricketing talent for him,” said a senior crime branch officer associated with the probe.

During questioning, Barate, whose RN Sports was used as a front to dupe cricketers- allegedly claimed that he worked as a talent hunter specialist for Saxena, said Property Cell officials. Barate and Saxena were in constant touch, via multiple phone calls, likely to be related with betting. “We are probing into the money trail, of over Rs 68 lakh that was amassed by cheating cricketers. We will summon Saxena for questioning in case we find that the money was diverted to him,” said a senior crime branch officer.

The officials have found that Barate and his associates Jeevan Mukadam (26) and Dinesh More (24) would approach cricketers via their field coaches and promise them breaks in IPL and Ranji matches. They made them pay and would take them to other states to play with random teams only to be rejected later on flimsy grounds. The property cell arrested former under-19 cricketer Ravindra Wadekar on Tuesday in connection with the case. Wadekar had been to West Indies during England-Windies series, on behalf of a company of Barate’s aide that had bagged branding rights for the matches.

The pictures were also used to influence and cheat victims, officials said.

Case Timeline

• Dec 1: Property Cell arrests Barate, Mukadam and More after a coach lodges complaint Officials find trio was in touch with bookies R.S. Dindwal, Shubham Jain and Priyank Saxena
• Dec 12: Ex-under-19 player Ravindra Wadekar held   
• Dec 14: UK tabloid releases video showing Saxena and Sobers Joban discussing spot-fixing of Ashes series