India’s sports minister Jitendra Singh, who is “embarrassed and sad” about the alleged spot-fixing in the IPL, has said the sports bill that is currently being drafted should be ready in full by June 30. Speaking to television channel CNN IBN, Singh said: “I feel it’s very important for a very strict law, that processes are implemented not only in cricket but in other sports also. Cricket has just been exposed, but there might be things happening in other sports too. I think it is very important to put in safeguards against these.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), Singh said, had been roped in to help draft the bill. “The biggest achievement we have done is we have got IOC on board to help us draft the sports bill. The sports bill is being drafted, Justice Mudgal is drafting it.
“For the first time we’ve brought in sportspersons, we’ve brought in lawyers who fight for sport, we’ve brought in people from all walks of life into the committee to draft the sports bill. And we’ve given them a deadline – June 30 – to draft the sports bill.”
In wake of the alleged fixing, India’s law minister Kapil Sibal had met Singh earlier in the week to discuss the bill. Then, Sibal had said past instances of fixing in sports in India, where attempts to prosecute the perpetrators failed due to lack of legislation dealing solely with the issue, proved it was necessary to work on such a law.
The three Rajasthan Royals cricketers currently in custody – Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan – have been charged under three sections of the Indian Penal Code that deal with cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
In other developments, the income tax department of India has reportedly initiated a probe into the hawala and illegal cash transactions involved in the alleged spot-fixing, and will interrogate the cricketers and bookies being detained about the same.
