Bookies held 5-star meet to finalize IPL betting plan

Officials said Vindu and suspended CSK principal Gurunath Meiyappan did not attend the meeting. 

MUMBAI: A group of bookies held a four-day meeting at a suburban five-star hotel a couple of days before IPL 6 started to discuss the modalities of betting. 

The meeting ended with plans to have grand parties at the end of the season in Mumbai and Delhi with Bollywood celebrities and cricketers as special invitees. But police spoiled the party by unearthing the betting scam while the matches were on, a police officer said. Some of the Bollywood personalities and cricketers were known to some of the bookies, police said. 

Around 20 bookies had gathered at the four-day meeting between March 29 and April 2. The IPL 6 matches started from April 3. "It was like a board meeting where they fine-tuned the operation," an officer said. One of the main issues discussed was identifying bookies who would interact with their Pakistan counterparts through the season to avoid confusion. 

Ramesh Vyas has emerged as the key bookie who through 30 telephone lines established the network between Indian bookies and their Pakistan counterparts. Those who attended include Vyas, Chandresh Jain, both from Mumbai, Badrinathan Modi from Rajasthan and Ramlal Nokaha from Ahmedabad. 

Police believe that at least seven bookies operated from Pakistan accepting and placing bets. "The bookies also had to decide on settling the financial deals. They square up the transaction at the end of the season besides finalising on the mode of transfer of money from abroad. But while the matches were on, money was transferred from abroad. In most of the cases, the money was routed through the hawala channel," an officer said. 

It's an intricate operation with thousands of crores at stake and they did not want to take any chances, an official said. In the past IPL seasons also, the bookies were active, the police suspect. Officials said Vindu and suspended CSK principal Gurunath Meiyappan did not attend the meeting. "Vindu has been betting since last several years. But he did not attend since he was not part of the core group and was a punter or operated like an sub agent. He placed bets and also earned commission by placing bets for others," an official said. 

Police said they have no evidence to show Meiyappan had placed bets in the past. "He got into the syndicate through Vindu," he said. The network abroad will become a bit more clearer once police manage to question suspect Pak umpire Asad Rauf and some of the bookies
.