India seeks IOC help for drafting anti-fixing law

India has sought inputs from International Olympic Committee (IOC) to fine tune its proposed comprehensive legislation on prevention of "match and spot fixing" in the backdrop of such allegations in cricket.

In a letter to IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Jitendra Singh has requested sharing of the body's knowledge in drafting the bill.

"Ethics have become even more important in the current context in India. Of late, there has been a spate of incidents which amount to "match/spot fixing" in the game of cricket. This has led to increased demand for greater regulation to prevent similar incidents in future," Singh said in the letter, now made public under the Right to Information Act to activist Subhash Agrawal.

Singh said a number of countries have already passed legislations making fixing in sports a criminal offence. He also said that he understands IOC has also studied such criminal activities and methods to combat them.

"I would be grateful if the IOC can share its knowledge of prevention of 'match/spot fixing' with the government of India in order to enable us to bring about a comprehensive bill which will reduce incidents of such events," he wrote.

The minister was responding to a letter from Kepper on May 24, 2013 on the issue of lifting ban on Indian Olympic Association and road map for it.