Nanavati stunned by video footage of 'slap-gate' incident

Mumbai, May 6 (UNI) Board of Control for CIricket in India (BCCI) appointed commissioner Sudhir Nanavati, investigating the slapping row between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth, today said he was stunned after seeing video footage of the incident.

Nanavati, who was in town to take down the statement of match referee Farokh Engineer, said he would also speak to Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput, who was allegedly standing behind Harbhajan when he slapped Sreesanth after the match.

''What I saw was shocking, but it has made my job easier. It will also help me in my further investigation,'' he told reporters after viewing the footage of the incident, that took place after an Indian Premier League match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab on April 25.

Nanavati saw the footage at the BCCI headquarters here with IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi, BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah and Joint Secretary M P Pandove.

The Ahmedabad lawyer will submit his inquiry report on the matter to Board President Sharad Pawar on Monday.

He has already spoken to umpire Amish Saheba, who was suspended for a match after criticising Sreesanth's behaviour in an interview.

Saheba had, however, denied making any statement against Sreesanth.

With this, Nanavati is expecting to wrap up the investigation by Sunday and send his findings to the BCCI chief on Monday. Yesterday, Nanavati had summoned Harbhajan and Sreesanth to Ahmedabad this weekend.

''I have summoned them. They have been told to come either on Friday or Saturday. Harbhajan will be coming on Friday. Sreesanth is yet to confirm a date,'' he had said yesterday.

Nanavati was asked by the Board to probe the incident after Harbhajan was banned for 11 matches of the IPL by its disciplinary committee.

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