Year before ICC alert, BCCI sleuths had zeroed in on Gilhotra
Chandigarh-based businessman Karan Gilhotra may have denied any links to cricket betting after he was named by the ICC recently as a suspected bookie, but documents show that the Indian board’s anti-corruption unit had first alerted the BCCI, ICC and IPL about his activities nearly a year ago.
On May 22, 2014, Ravi Sawani, the then director of the BCCI’s Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) had sent an “alert” on Karan Gilhotra in a “confidential” mail sent to officials of BCCI, ICC and IPL, “warning” them about Gilhotra’s “doubtful” credentials.
The mail, accessed by The Indian Express, reads, “It has come to the notice of the ICC ACSU and the BCCI ACU that one Karan Gilhotra… has been hanging around the IPL teams trying to befriend players and support staff.”
It adds, “ACU inquiries have revealed that Karan Gilohtra is not a person of good repute and there are strong rumours of him being involved in heavy betting on cricket. He is believed to be in touch with a number of players spread amongst various franchisees and often manages to obtain hospitality invites to matches, more specifically matches being played in Mohali. He has often also managed to get into some of the post match parties organised by franchisees at the hotels.”
Sawani also advised the IPL team owners and officials that “to keep the sanctity of the IPL clean”, they should ensure that Gilhotra was “not entertained by any of their squad members”.
“If he has approached anyone for any information or favors the same may please be informed to their respective Team Integrity Officers,” he added in the mail.
Addressed to IPL team officials, the mail was copied to IPL COO Sundar Raman, Sunil Gavaskar, Ranjib Biswal and then BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel, among others.
The Indian Express has on Monday reported about the high-profile socialite Gilhotra’s association with top business chiefs, politicians, bureaucrats, cricketers and Bollywood celebrities.
When contacted, Gilhotra had said he was not aware of any alert having been issued about him by the BCCI or ICC.
