Mumbai: The arrest of alleged bookie and hawala operator Anil Jaisinghani has opened a pandora’s box of corruption, blackmail, match fixing and money laundering involving top cricket players, Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisee owners and policemen; all part of a racket with a turnover of at least ₹15,000 crore.
Call intercepts of Jaisinghani accessed by the Free Press Journal have thrown light on the clout enjoyed by him over cricket players and others with a stake in the mega racket. The intercepts have also revealed links of the cricket betting cartel with bookies in Pakistan and Dubai.
Undated call intercepts has Jaisinghani offering safe haven for absconding bookie, can be heard using code names
In one of the undated call intercepts, Jaisinghani is heard offering a safe haven for an absconding bookie Ramesh to conduct cricket betting in Mumbai and Thane. “I have my own three-star hotel in Thane and Shirdi with complete safety. I have an arrangement with the local police and can provide two armed police gunmen for safety,” Jaisinghani is heard boasting in a call to another bookie.
Jaisinghani can be heard using the code name Sunny; he also mentions the name of another bookie Kiran who runs a popular cricket betting book ‘Metro’ which is run with police protection.
Transcript of the audio:
"Ha.. Ramesh Bhai... Sunny bol raha hu Sunny Bombay se... last time baat hui na aapse station ke baare mein kidar matlab Indore mein Indore side hai Vijaywada na.. haan ji..taklif kaha Matlab police ka taklif... haa Hyderabad..achaa..phir Bombay mein aapko chahiye kya jagah wagah...Thane ka jagah chahiye toh mera safety ka jagah hai aisa nahi me pechan bhi hai. DCB..BCB.. sab aa section bection mein koi aisi baat nahi hai...agar jagah chahiye toh mein de sakta hoon mera khudka hotel hai 3 star.. hmm hmm..ekdam safety aur guarantee mein matlab ekdam cheez saamne se...Thana mein bhi hai mera hotel...Shirdi mein bhi hai," Jaisinghani can be heard saying.
He further can be heard saying, "Aur yaha tak bhi kar sakta hoon aapko shayad bahar do police wale bitha ke dunga... paali bhai jabhi the..hmm ...kiran bhai sabko jaanta hoon..metro betro..kiran bhai toh bol hi rahe na abhi...kiran bhai jo JK wale hi bol rahe hai na aap...woh Gujarat side mein baitthe hai...haan aapko aise guarantee lagegi bhai..do police wale baikaida bahar bitaye diye gun machine ke saath toh hi aap baito nahi toh aap nahi baito..main itna kar sakta hoon."
Jaisinghani provided police protection by RR Patil in 2010
Devendra Fadnavis as the Leader of Opposition had questioned the late NCP home minister RR Patil in 2010 about police protection provided to Jaisinghani, following which his armed police cover was removed. Jaisinghani managed to get back the police cover in 2014, and during the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids in May 2015, four armed Mumbai Police constables were found providing protection at his Ulhasnagar residence.
Even Jaisinghani’s lawyers – Mrigendra Singh and Manan Sanghai – claimed he was under police protection for 25 years. “He was given secret awards for sharing information with the police and was in the good books of various authorities. Suddenly, he has become a villain,” observed Sanghai.
Police: "Voice in the intercepted calls to be that of Jaisinghani."
Senior Mumbai police crime branch officials confirmed and identified the voice in the intercepted calls to be that of Jaisinghani wanted in over 17 cases in five states.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had cautioned cricket players about bookies approaching them and their family members posing as cricket fans and showering expensive gifts to later blackmail them. The BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit had warned a few players when their photographs with leading bookies had surfaced during 2011-12 and advised them to cut contact with people of dubious credentials.
