Bookies told Chandila to fix Watson for IPL rigging

Rajasthan Royals cricketer Harmeet Singh on Thursday claimed that bookies told teammate Ajit Chandila to involve allrounder Shane Watson for spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League.

It was revealed in Harmeet’s statement before a court after Delhi Police decided to make him a prosecution witness in the spot-fixing case. His statement was recorded by a camera under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma.

Sharing the details of a meeting with bookies, including Manan and Jeetendra Jain, at a hotel in Mumbai in February, the 20-year-old told the magistrate that it was his teammate Ajit Chandila who took him there with the instruction of agreeing to whatever was told to him.

“It was during the meeting that the name of Watson cropped up for the first time when the bookies asked Chandila if he could rope in Watson as they needed a batsman,” a
police officer said.

Chandila, however, told them that he could not bring in Watson.

Harmeet was signed by the now defunct IPL franchise Deccan Chargers in 2010, but could not play in that edition as he was busy with his class 12 board exams.

In January, he was approached again to play in the IPL, this time by Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid who called him up on behalf of the team and asked if he was interested to join them. Harmeet accepted the offer and became a part of Rajasthan Royals.

The officer further said that, in February, when Harmeet was playing in a local tournament, he was called up by Chandila who took him to a hotel in Bandra where some of his friends were present.

“Harmeet was then taken to another room in the hotel where Jeetendra, Manan and an unidentified person were present,” the officer added.

In his statement, Harmeet also told the magistrate that the bookies themselves chose not to involve him as he was “too young” and asked him to play and gain some confidence.