Scotland Yard has no useful information: Delhi police

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 5. The two visiting officers of the Organised Crime Department of Scotland Yard today again met officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation to discuss various aspects of the cricket match-fixing racket.

The officers, Sergeant Martin Hawkins and Sergeant Bruce Horbury, on their arrival in the capital on May 3, had first met the officers of the Crime Branch of Delhi police, who had detected the match-fixing racket.

During the 20-minute meeting with the Crime Branch officers, the two officers had apprised themselves of the way in which the agency had conducted the investigations. They also sought specific information pertaining to charges of match-fixing levelled by former England cricketer, Chris Lewis, who had alleged that he was offered a bribe by an Indian sports promoter a few seasons ago for throwing away a match.

An official of the Crime Branch, however, denied that a list of names of people having contact with the accused Indian sports promoter had been provided to them by the Scotland Yard officers for verification. The Crime Branch said the Scotland Yard officers have also not brought with them any information which may be of use in investigations being conducted by the Delhi police. ``We did not ask them for any favours too. We have already approached the Interpol for whatever information we needed on the matter.''

Kishan Kumar in Mumbai

PTI reports:

A team of Delhi police, along with Kishan Kumar, has reached Mumbai to corroborate the statements made by him during the course of investigations. The team will investigate the circumstances under which a mobile phone was handed over to former South African skipper, Hansie Cronje, during the Pepsi Cup cricket series with India earlier this year, police sources said here.

The mobile phone is alleged to have been used by Cronje to call up Hamid Banjo Kassim, a ``middle-man'' from South Africa. Police also claim that Kassim was met by London-based NRI businessman Sanjeev Chawla, prime accused in the case, when he had gone to South Africa late last year.

In London, Chawla has denied having ever met Cronje or having given any money to him. In an interview to Daily Express, a British tabloid, he said: ``I have never met Hansie Cronje and certainly have never given him any money as it has been claimed.''

Delhi police claim to have taped telephone conversations purportedly between Chawla and Cronje during South Africa's one- day series in India in March.

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