IPL spot fixing: I don't even know A of MCOCA, says Ajit Chandila

Ajit Chandila, the Rajasthan Royals player implicated in the spot-fixing scandal in IPL VI, said he was shocked at being held under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) by the Delhi police, and hoped no one would have to face what he went through.

Chandila, who was arrested on May 16 alongwith S Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan for alleged spot-fixing, was granted bail for two days to perform the last rites of his deceased brother.

"I don't even know the A of MCOCA," Chandila told a news channel on Monday (August 5). "My family are shocked by the MCOCA charge and they are suffering because such a big tragedy has happened with me. After I got arrested, my brother was admitted (to the hospital) the next day. A lot of things came my way, and I pray to God that this doesn't happen with anyone else. And if my family is going through this, what will happen to the others' families who are involved in this case?"

Chandila said nobody had ever approached him to fix or spot-fix any match, and stressed that he had "faith in the judiciary".

"I am not a criminal, I am a sportsman. The public, the world and my fans will all come to know what was there in this case and what wasn't," he said. "I have great faith in the judiciary and believe that justice will be done. With time, all these things will be out in the open."

While conceding that this was a tremendous setback, Chandila didn't rule out the possibility of a comeback. "I know how difficult circumstances have been for me. For any sportsman to go through such a tragedy, go through something like this in their careers - it's very difficult to overcome," he said. "You have to be strong. My family has supported me at this time. I think everything will be in front of people very soon. Now, my life, my cricket and my career is in the hands of the judiciary.

"I had a dream to be a good cricketer, and I became a good cricketer too. Whatever I did with my hard work, you saw the performances in two years of IPL. Right now the dream has hit a roadblock, but god willing, I can make a comeback soon."

On reports that the Rajasthan team management and some players including Rahul Dravid, the captain, would be witnesses for the prosecution, Chandila maintained that they knew his true character and that everyone's faith in him would be restored soon enough.

"The management of my team, Rajasthan Royals and my captain, Rahul bhai - they are all sensible people and they know what to do and say. They know what kind of a person I was and what kind of player I was.

"Even today, I can say that the Rajasthan Royals team has a lot of faith in me. But there's a lot of negativity in my life now due to circumstances. It will change into positive very quickly and once that is out in the open, all the belief and trust will return."