Maken demands ED & IT dept probe into IPL deals

A day after seeking a proper probe into the spot-fixing allegation that has rocked the IPL, Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Thursday said that he has asked for an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department whether the players were paid through black money.

Maken said he has asked the Finance Ministry to immediately get the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department to probe black money aspect in the IPL after a television sting operation showed players claiming that they received more money in black than the contracted amount.

“ED and IT are already probing IPL’s FEMA violation. It’s tightening the noose around BCCI. But now we have asked it to investigate whether players are being paid through other means. It’s very evident that there are huge violations of foreign exchange norms and black money,” Maken said.

Five uncapped Indian cricket players were suspended with immediate effect on Tuesday pending an inquiry as the BCCI cracked the whip in the wake of the TV sting operation which claimed to expose corruption in IPL.

Maken, who has been at the loggerheads with the BCCI over its refusal to come under the RTI, said the Cricket Board could not be trusted to carry out a probe on its own into the spot-fixing allegations.

“Suspending five players is not enough. Superficial investigation will not do. BCCI should get to the root of the problem. The only solution is that BCCI should distance itself from IPL. People running BCCI have interests in IPL. So, how do you expect a fair trial?” he asked. “IPL has increased the possibility of match-fixing. BCCI can’t be an honest watchdog if it’s connected to IPL,” Maken said in a release.

Asked about BCCI president N Srinivasan being both BCCI president and owner of an IPL team, Maken said as a matter of principle he should stay away from BCCI.

The minister said following the television sting operation on IPL players there was now an even bigger case for BCCI to come under RTI. “BCCI has something to hide, that’s why they are opposing it. They want to conceal something. We don’t know what a player is paid, what are shareholding patterns of IPL franchises. All that will be in public domain once they come under RTI,” he said.