IPL Betting, Spot-fixing Case: IPS Officer Sampath Kumar Falsely Deposed Before Mudgal Panel, Tamil Nadu Police Tells Supreme Court

The Tamil Nadu Police has filed an application in the Supreme Court saying that suspended IPS officer Sampath Kumar had falsely deposed before the Justice Mukul Mudgal committee that investigated the Indian Premier League spot-fixing and betting scandal. Kumar, who was part of Tamil Nadu Police's 'Q' Branch, had opened a can of worms by alleging that bookies were involved with prominent players, including current Team India stars. Kumar's deposition is part of a report submitted by the Mudgal panel to the Supreme Court on February 10.

For the first time, Tamil Nadu Police has clarified that it suspended Kumar in February this year for extracting a bribe from cricket bookies who operated in Chennai. The application says that Mahendra Singh Ranka (a bookie) gave Rs 30 lakh to Kumar "in his office" and delivered Rs 30 lakh to three persons as directed by the IPS officer. Kumar has appealed against his suspension in Supreme Court.

The Tamil Nadu Police application says : "In order to escape from the clutches of law, Kumar had falsely deposed before the probe committee headed by Justice Mudgal." It adds: "Various allegations made by Kumar against CBCID are absolutely false, factually incorrect and baseless."

The application also rejects Kumar's claim that he was transferred from 'Q' branch to Tiruchy at the behest of influential persons wanting to derail investigations. Tamil Nadu Police says Kumar's transfer was "according to government rules and procedures."

Tamil Nadu police says Kumar should not have deposed before the Mudgal committee. "He was not a member of the investigating team," said the application, adding the suspended IPS officer should have impleaded the CBCID, Tamil Nadu as a party in his petition to the apex court.

The Supreme Court is on the verge of forming a second committee to probe the IPL case further. The court wants Justice Mudgal to lead the probe again, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India is for a new man to head the second round of investigations. It remains to be seen how the court deals with the Tamil Nadu Police application as Kumar's deposition can prove to be critical in the entire case.