Who is Dheeraj Dixit?

New Delhi:

Dheeraj Dixit might have been dominating headlines but his next-door neighbours are oblivious that the man who rarely made an appearance at his north Delhi house in Pitampura has become the most sought after by the media in general.

MiD DAY traced Dixit's house to TP-63, Ist Floor, Pitampura. After ringing the door bell several times, a lady answered the call and when this correspondent asked about Dixit, the lady started hesitating and said that no Dheeraj Dixit lived there.

She banged the door and warned the correspondent not to click any pictures of her house.
When MiD DAY asked the neighbours about the freelance photographer, some of them said they didn't know anybody by that name lived there while some claimed Dixit rarely visited the house.

"We saw him a few months ago but nowadays he doesn't visit this house. Although I never interacted with him, I know him as a neighbour. I didn't know he was involved in some match-fixing scandal. I don't know who currently lives in the house, it maybe some of his relatives," said Prem Luthra, Dixit's neighbour.

A number of people were unaware that the Dheeraj Dixit whose name is appearing frequently on TV is the same man who used to live in their neighbourhood.

"I can't believe Dheeraj Dixit is the same guy. I know him. He lives in house number TP-63. I have seen him only a few times," said Bal Deo, president of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of the area.

After confirming that it was indeed Dheeraj Dixit's residence, when this correspondent reached the bungalow again, the same lady came out on the balcony and shouted: "No Dheeraj Dixit lives here. Go away."

From rags to match fixing

A senior photographer who claims to have known Dixit from close quarters, requesting anonymity, told MiD DAY he maintained equipment that even people with bigger affiliations and greater experience cannot afford.

"Most of the times I have spotted him clicking photographs at either matches that are played in Delhi or matches that involved Pakistan. He has accreditation from a Chhattisgarh-based magazine 'Just Sports' but maintain a high-end camera," the senior photographer said.

He also claimed that in a very short span of time, Dixit who owned a LIG flat in Janakpuri in west Delhi, bought a bungalow in north Delhi and amassed properties in Chandigarh and London. "I don't know how a man in his position can afford to manage all this."

A senior television cricket journalist said, "I know Dixit for long now. He used to sell pictures to media houses and corporate houses, which he used to click during matches. How come only he was approached by Veena Malik or any other bookie, is something beyond comprehension. Even if he was contacted by Malik, as he claims, why did he not tell the ICC?"