For someone who has tackled hardcore criminals and nabbed offenders in situations similar to those shown in Bollywood flicks, Neeraj Kumar’s name will always be etched in cricketing folklore, albeit for a different reason.

The former Commissioner of Delhi Police was in charge of the operation which shocked the cricketing world and led to the deposition of the late South African cricketer Hansie Cronje. Top cricketers like Mohammed Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja and Kapil Dev were also embroiled in the scandal.

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Cricket fans will never forget the image of Dev, a cult figure, weeping on a television show.

The game of cricket was never the same again and suspicion replaced obeisance. Such has been the impact of the scandal on ‘The Gentleman’s Game’ that matches which go right down to the wire are viewed sceptically by a section of the followers. An upset result evokes more such reactions.

Kumar was also the Delhi Police Commissioner when his team broke the 2013 IPL betting-fixing scandal.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, Kumar, rued the fact that he was not able to ensure that his stint at the BCCI did not result in an overhaul of the system.

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He is of the opinion that it is very difficult to put a leash on betting activities in the country unless the laws against betting and match-fixing are strengthened.

“We don’t have laws for fixing. I am also of the view that legalising will only affect people who make small bets and the big punters will always be out of reach. Better vigilance and enforcement are the need of the hour to curb this menace,” he said.

So, what is the scale of the betting market in India?

Kumar says it is difficult to make an estimate and admitted that there has been an astounding increase in betting activities over the past few years.

But why do the offenders go scot-free even after they are nabbed? Is there a tacit arrangement between the police officials and the bookies because it is impossible for them to run it in a clandestine manner if there is so much money at stake.

Kumar’s response is a bit guarded.

“Let me put it this way. It is not that police is not aware of what’s happening but since they know that the offenders cannot be put behind bars for a long time, they get into an arrangement where they get protection money. They can’t go after punters because the country doesn’t have proper laws to punish them. They are booked for cheating and courts don’t find it convincing enough,” he said.

It is not that police is not aware of what’s happening but since they know that the offenders cannot be put behind bars for a long time, they get into an arrangement where they get protection money.

When Kumar was appointed as the BCCI’s anti-corruption chief, there were expectations that the governing body would put in place an impregnable structure that would stand the test of time.
However, that wasn’t to be.

There were reports of Kumar writing to BCCI about the lack of support extended to him. Kumar acknowledges that BCCI failed to implement majority of his suggestions but he is glad that some of them have seen the light of the day.

“I recommended a number of measures and some of them were accepted after I left. Expansion of ACU and regional units were some of them. ICC has also become more serious in its attempts to curb the menace,” he said.

Kumar’s views on this subject illustrate the fact that betting activities are so deeply entrenched in the system that it is near impossible to locate the foundation on which it stands.
In the next part, we will take a look at the one single factor that has transformed the betting industry – technology.