IPL betting case: Bail for Gurunath and Vindoo

Mumbai, June 4: Actor Vindoo Dara Singh and Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan were today granted bail by a local court. The two are expected to come out of jail by this evening after bail formalities are completed.

Vindoo and Meiyappan's arrests came after Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila were taken into custody on spot-fixing charges.

Gurnath Meiyappan was arrested on May 24 for allegedly taking part in illegal betting in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and had triggered major upheavel in the cricket world. The most high profile causality of this scandal was his father-in-law N Srinivasan, who had to keep away from BCCI. He is president of BCCI.

The Mumbai court has told Vindoo and Gurunath two have been told not to leave the country and surrender their passports to the police. The court has also asked them to report to Mumbai Crime Branch office two days in a week.

Arguments in the case

Meiyappan's lawyer Aabad Ponda has argued that the CSK team honcho was not involved in match-fixing or spot-fixing.

"The one case is that of placing bets with Vindoo. Placing bets is a bailable offence. All the sections levelled
against him are bailable except three - 420, 466 and 468 of the IPC. It is not the case that Meiyappan forged documents hence 466 and 468 are not applicable," he argued.

Relying on a Supreme Court judgment, Ponda contended the basic rule is that in a case which does not fetch life imprisonment, the accused should be granted bail.

None of the sections under which Meiyappan has been charged with invite life sentence, he said.

"Meiyappan responded to the summons issued to him by the police. There is no question of him absconding. Tapping of my phones and all other evidence has been taken by the police even prior to Meiyappan's arrest," Ponda argued.

Vindoo's lawyer Satish Maneshinde argued that the allegation against the arrested actor can be at the most only for contacting bookies but it cannot be said that he was part of the larger conspiracy.

Maneshinde further argued that the allegation that Vindoo had facilitated the escape of some bookies does not stand as those bookies were not named as wanted accused the day they left the city.

"There is no reasonable ground that he will abscond or tamper with evidence. The reason why this case was foisted on the accused has been met with yesterday," Maneshinde said referring to N Srinivasan stepping aside as BCCI chief pending inquiry.

OneIndia News