IPL spot-fixing: Court pulls up Delhi Police for seeking adjournment

S. Sreesanth (L), Ajit Chandila (C) and Ankeet Chavan

New Delhi, December 8 (IANS)

A court here on Monday pulled up the city police after it sought adjournment instead of advancing arguments on framing of charges in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing case.

Additional Sessions Judge Neena Bansal Krishna, who was scheduled to hear arguments on framing of charges in the case, said the Delhi Police Special Cell was not doing anything in the matter.

The court said that since the last six months, it has been witnessing the lackadaisical attitude of the police in the case where they have time and again sought adjournment.

It also warned police of ordering day-to-day hearing in the case to which the prosecutor said he will advance the arguments Tuesday.

The court had earlier fixed the case for Monday for commencing of arguments on framing of charges in the case against cricketers S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, among others.

Delhi Police filed a charge sheet on July 30^th, 2013 in the IPL spot-fixing case, alleging that Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel were behind the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scandal.

The formal set of charges, running into 6,000 pages, named Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan, among other accused, in the scandal related to the IPL-6 held in 2013.

They have been charged with cheating and conspiracy under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

Dawood and Shakeel are on the run and have been declared proclaimed offenders in the case after police completed proceedings of their property attachment.

Police have also informed the court that both of them have not returned to India after the 1993 Mumbai blasts.