IPL spot fixing case: Police gets time to file status report

A court here today granted time till October 25 to the Delhi Police Commissioner for filing a status report on ongoing probe into the IPL spot fixing case after the cops said they are awaiting "certain evidence" from other investigating agencies like the ED and DRI.

When Additional Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma asked about the status report to be filed by the Commissioner of Police in the case, Public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan told the court that they have sought some vital informations from the Mumbai Police, ED and DRI about the probe and they are yet to receive some of it.

"On query by the court regarding the status report in regard to the supervision in the present investigation by the Commissioner of Police, PP Rajiv Mohan requested for time stating that 7-10 days are required to submit the report as some vital piece of evidence has been obtained from the Mumbai Police while certain information/evidence is to be obtained from the DRI and other investigating agency," the court said and fixed the matter for further hearing on October 25.

The court had earlier pulled up the Delhi police for lack of coordination in getting evidence from the material seized by other probe agencies, including the Mumbai Police, and had asked police commissioner to take appropriate steps to ensure fair probe in the case.

During the proceedings today, the accused including suspended cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, appeared before the court which pulled up the defence counsel for not collecting the copies of the documents, filed by the police along with the charge sheet, on time.

"When I had fixed a date for supply of documents, nobody came on that date. I had fixed a date for the accused so that they can collect the documents along with its hard copies. Do not give me excuses," the court said. 

The court asked the accused to collect the copies of the documents today itself.It also asked the defence lawyers to expedite the issue of receiving and scrutiny of these documents.

During the proceedings, Sreesanth, Chavan and three other accused filed their replies on a plea filed by police seeking cancellation of bail granted to them and 16 others.

Meanwhile, three accused -- Ashwani Aggarwal, Sunil Bhatia and Jitendra Kumar -- also moved separate applications seeking bail.

The counsel appearing for Aggarwal and Bhatia submitted that they both be granted interim bail as Aggarwal's father is ill while Bhatia's wife is required to undergo a surgery for an ailment.

The court posted the hearing for October 25 and asked the police to file their response, if any, on the bail pleas of three accused.

"Now to come up for filing of replies on the applications moved on behalf of the applicants/accused Ashwani Aggarwal, Sunil Bhatia and Jitendra Kumar besides consideration on the status report by the Commissioner of Police, Delhi on October 25," the judge said.

The police had earlier filed its 6,000-page charge sheet against 39 persons. 40th accused Chandresh Jain was arrested after filing of the charge sheet in the case.The trial court had on June 10 granted bail to Sreesanth, Chavan and 19 others for lack of evidence against them to be charged under MCOCA.

The police had in its charge sheet said that accused underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel, who have been "controlling the fixing and betting market" in cricket in India, were behind the IPL spot-fixing.