IPL 2013 spot-fixing scandal: Gurunath Meiyappan arrested – What is his Bollywood connection?

Pressure mounts on BCCI President N Srinivasan to resign, as his son-in-law G Meiyappan is arrested in the spot-fixing scandal

The clamour for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Narayanswamy Srinivasan’s resignation got louder after his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, former Chennai Super Kings chief executive, Friday was interrogated by Mumbai police in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013 spot-fixing scandal and later arrested.
Chennai Super Kings, however, sought to distance itself from Meiyappan, whose name cropped up during questioning of Bollywood actor Vindu Dara Singh Randhawa, the franchise saying Meiyappan was just an honorary member of the management committee.
Vindu Dara Singh’s call records showed that he was in constant touch with the BCCI President’s son-in-law. Vindu was often seen at the VIP boxes, as an invitee of Meiyappan, during Super Kings matches in the IPL.
Meiyappan, who was untraceable for the past two days, was spotted at Srinivasan’s farmhouse in the hill station of Kodaikanal, some 500kms from Chennai. He left for Mumbai by a chartered flight from Madurai and was met there by the Crime Branch officials, who whisked him away to their south Mumbai office for questioning.
Questioned for over three hours, Meiyappan was confronted with the evidence against him and arrested around midnight. He is likely to be produced before a court Saturday.
Srinivasan remained in the line of fire with Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy and former International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCCI president Sharad Pawar’s party Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) calling for his resignation as BCCI chief on moral grounds, though later the party seemed to distance itself from the demand made by a party spokesman.
Sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said Srinivasan, who was aspiring to be the next ICC president, was likely to step down if Mumbai police arrested Meiyappan, who has been accused of having links with bookies.
Among other developments Friday, a court granted Mumbai police custody of Vindu till May 28 besides two others – hawala operator Alpesh Taneja and a bookie, Prem Taneja.
The series of events led India Cements, which owns the Super Kings, to issue a statement that Gurunath was not the team CEO and rather an honorary member of team management.
However, Gurunath has introduced himself as Super Kings Team Principal on his Twitter account. He also adds his other designation, which is more connected to South cinema and Bollywood – that of Managing Director, AVM Productions and Entertainment, AVM Studios and AVM Constructions.
AVM Productions is one of the oldest South Indian movie studios and has also produced Hindi films. The production house recently re-released Rajinikanth’s 2007 hit Sivaji in 3D.
In a statement issued, India Cements’ executive director TS Raghupathy said, “India Cements clarifies that Mr Gurunath Meiyappan is neither the Owner, nor CEO/Team Principal of Chennai Super Kings. Mr Gurunath is only one of the Members (Honorary) of the Management Team of Chennai Super Kings.”
That clarification did not cut ice with Sharad Pawar’s party NCP, which initially demanded that Srinivasan quit immediately “if he has any sense of morality and public accountability”.
Sahara chief Subrata Roy fired another salvo, saying he would immediately stop sponsoring the Indian team if Srinivasan continues to be the president of the BCCI. Roy said the BCCI’s style of functioning “is disgusting, irritating and frustrating”.
“Persons like Srinivasan does not know how to run cricket. Sahara will not sponsor Team India till N Srinivasan stays as its chief,” Roy was quoted as saying by a TV channel.
Following the dispute with the BCCI over franchise fee, which it wanted to be lowered, Sahara Group has already pulled out its Pune Warriors India franchise from the Indian Premier League, and decided not to sponsor Team India after the contract ends in December 2013.
Earlier Friday, Delhi Police arrested a bookie from the Hyderabad airport who is also a Bollywood spotboy.
“One of the arrested bookies, Chandresh Patel, revealed Ahya’s name. We will be bringing him to Delhi,” a Delhi Police official said.
Ahya, based in Mumbai, was arrested by Delhi Police at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad when he was about to board a flight to Dubai, police sources said. He had reached Hyderabad from Mumbai by road and was trying to flee the country.
The IPL scam, which seems to be getting bigger by the day, came to light when Rajasthan Royals cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested on spot fixing charges last Wednesday.