Anurag Thakur wants 10-year jail for match-fixers

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is trying to clean its image and in this bid, Anurag Thakur who is a Lok Sabha MP and also the BCCI secretary has introduced three private member bills, including a significant 'National Sports Ethics Commission' bill which recommends 10 years of jail term for sportspersons indulging in match-fixing.

The BCCI has always been clouded in controversy and this is another attempt made by the Shashank Manohar-led team to tick few boxes. The Indian Premier League is a money-spinner and is forever engulfed in speculations floating around. The image took a major hit in 2013 when S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankit Chavan were found indulging in spot-fixing.

"It is only fair to bring in accountability to be fair to sports lovers. As such there is no law which is there to curb match-fixing. It is absolutely mandatory to have a law that can combat the menace," Anurag Thakur said while introducing the bill in Lok Sabha and answering questions that followed.

The bill’s objective is "to establish a national sports ethics body to ensure ethical practices in sports as well as strive towards the elimination of doping practices, match fixing and fair play, fraud of age, gender and sexual harassment of women in sports."

Further, the bill states that this step was necessary after the recent corruption and match-fixing allegations levied at Indian Cricket and other sports by players, officials and the general public.

This bill if sees the light of the day will ensure not only a life ban but also 10 years of jail time. Also, the accused will have to pay a fine amounting to five times the bribe amount in cases of match fixing.

In other penalties proposed for specific cases of fraud of age or gender, a jail time of six months, as well as a fine of Rs 1 lakh, will be levied. Apart from sportspersons, coaches and members of sports federations who are aware of fraudulent activities in any such criminal activities would be punished with similar provisions.

The bill in order to streamline the process seeks to set up a 'National Sports Ethics Commission' consisting of judges as well as eminent sports personalities. This commission will conduct trials, frame by-laws along with different sports associations.