IPL: Suspended IPS officer, who probed betting and match-fixing scandal, alleges cover up

Suspended IPS officer G Sampath Kumar has approached the Supreme Court for appointing a Special Investigation Team to probe the Indian Premier League betting and spot-fixing scandal. The top court is already hearing an inquiry committee report that records the alleged involvement of some top Board of Control for Cricket in India officials and national-level players.

The probe panel was headed by former judge Justice Mukul Mudgal and included Additional Solicitor General L. Nageswara Rao and senior advocate Nilay Dutta. This panel, appointed in October last year, submitted its reports to the Supreme Court on February 10. The court has already suspended BCCI president N. Srinivasan and refused to share with Board lawyers transcripts of tapes allegedly containing conversation between bookies, BCCI officials and India captain MS Dhoni. (MS Dhoni's name in secret inquiry report submitted to Supreme Court)

Former Tamil Nadu top cop Sampath Kumar conducted the probe into the IPL scam but was transferred and later suspended without any reasons.

In his petition, Sampath Kumar, quoting Dutta's recommendations in the Justice Mudgal committee report on the scam, says: "He (Sampath Kumar) is the first person to expose the involvement of top BCCI officials and some cricket players."

Sampath Kumar says efforts are being made to silence those probing the scam and to protect bigger influential people by suspending him.

The former IPS officer says that the Tamil Nadu crime branch refused to share critical records with the Mudgal committee and didn't cooperate with the panel. "The Tamil Nadu CBCID probing the scam is sabotaging the probe because influential persons are involved in the scam," said Sampath Kumar in his petition.

Sampath Kumar also wants the court to stay his suspension order. This petition is likely to be heard on April 16 when the court takes up the IPL scam case.