UP T20 League hit by match-fixing scandal: Bookie offers Rs 1 crore to team owner; FIR lodged

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An FIR has been filed by the Lucknow police in response to a complaint made by the BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) regarding an alleged effort to fix matches during the UP T20 League. The development was reported by Times Now.

As per the FIR, filed on August 31, Arjun Chauhan, the team manager for Kashi Rudra, received a strange message from an Instagram user named "vipss_nakrani". The sender claimed to be a major bookie and offered Rs 1 crore to influence match results, also promising a commission of Rs 50 lakh.

A trap was set up after the team manager alerted ACU. By starting a chat on Instagram, the ACU members were able to obtain the accused's phone number. The accused instructed them to solely use WhatsApp for calls and messages and demanded players should follow his directions during matches. He also promised immediate payment in cash or dollars.

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The accused said that, if they so desired, he and his accomplices would be present on the ground throughout the match and would pay him right away when it was over. In order to maintain some records, the ACU recorded complete conversations and calls on a different device, all of which have been handed over to the police.

According to police, initial investigation points to a planned scheme involving match-fixing and betting.

In addition to other provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police confirmed that charges have been brought under provisions 318, 319, 112, 62, Section 3 of the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Investigators are currently trying to identify the owner of the Instagram profile and dismantle his network.

The UP T20 League began in Lucknow on August 17 and will end on September 6.