Royal mess

Sir — Raj Kundra, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals, has reportedly confessed that he placed bets on matches for the last three years in the Indian Premier League (“Raj too hot for Royals”, June 8 ). Gurunath Meiyappan had been arrested by the Mumbai police for being involved in spot-fixing. Now Kundra has admitted to the Delhi Police that he placed bets during various cricket matches through his business partner, Umesh Goenka.

Kundra’s name surfaced in the IPL match-fixing probe during the questioning of Goenka. Consequently, he was grilled by the special cell of the Delhi Police. Police sources have stated that Goenka has claimed that Kundra’s wife, Shilpa Shetty, knew fully well that her husband placed bets regularly. The Delhi police commissioner, Neeraj Kumar, has said that Goenka also revealed that Shetty not only knew about the bets but also asked him to place bets on her behalf. In his defence, Kundra has apparently told the cops that being a British national, he was unaware of the fact that betting was illegal in India. (It is legal in the United Kingdom.) But ignorance of law cannot be cited in defence. He must have observed that bets are placed in a surreptitious manner in this country.

The rules of the Board of Control for Cricket in India are rather strict in this regard. If the owner of a team is found to be involved in betting, the franchise can be terminated from the tournament. Betting and spot fixing are two different types of crime. But it is imperative that those who are involved in either form of illegal conduct are punished severely.

Yours faithfully,
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad

Sir — Raj Kundra has told the police that he indulged in betting in IPL matches, especially the ones involving his team, the Rajasthan Royals. The Delhi police grilled him for around 11 hours after Umesh Goenka, Kundra’s business partner, claimed that Kundra placed bets through him. It was shocking to learn that Shilpa Shetty knew about the betting and has herself placed bets through Goenka. Though both Shetty and Kundra have denied the allegations, Kundra, according to reports in the press, has owned up to his crime to the police. Goenka has revealed that Kundra lost around one crore rupees in bets. Goenka used to talk to the players, enquiring about team strategy, pitch conditions and other details and then place his bets. Kundra used to gamble with the help of the information he gleaned from Goenka.

It is strange that the police have not questioned Shilpa Shetty yet. The actress, the ‘face’ of the Rajasthan Royals, holds a little over 11 per cent shares with her husband.

It is important to bring the guilty to the book. Though betting may be legal in many countries, it is not so in India. Hence it is important to ensure that everyone abides by the law.

Yours faithfully,
Jorhat Singh, Mumbai

Sir — The newest member to have been caught in the web of betting and spot fixing happens to be Raj Kundra. The co-owner of the IPL team has admitted that he was involved in betting. If he is found guilty, Rajasthan Royals is likely to be ousted from the IPL. The Enforcement Directorate is preparing to question Kundra over his involvement in illegal betting in the IPL.

Recent developments have shown that the IPL has become murky and has tainted the gentleman’s game. It is important to ensure that fresh teams take the place of the corrupt ones. Strict rules should be set to rid the game of scandals.

Yours faithfully,
M.M. Kale, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh

Brute force

Sir — It is a matter of great concern that three journalists were targeted by the hoodlums of the Trinamul Congress recently (“Attack on TV journalists”, June 8). Two of them were hospitalized with serious injuries after they came under attack while covering a clash between two rival factions of the TMC in the northern fringes of the city. An unruly mob was protesting the murder of a Trinamul leader. It turned violent and the three photo journalists, who were covering the event, were attacked.

Mamata Banerjee has ordered an investigation and has promised that strict action will be taken against those responsible for the attack on the three television journalists. Yet only a few arrests have been made thus far. It is important to punish the guilty as they have tainted the ruling party.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta

Sir — Attacks on journalists covering political events are not new in West Bengal. Many such incidents had been reported during the Nandigram and Singur agitations. In recent months, Trinamul Congress workers have also been accused of committing similar hostile acts. In April this year, supporters of the party’s student wing had entered Presidency University and vandalized parts of the institution and attacked several students and a teacher. Mohammad Iqbal, a TMC councillor, was arrested on charges of murdering a policeman in February.

Mamata Banerjee should take strict actions to curb factionalism. The assault on scribes goes to show that democracy does not exist in West Bengal. Clamping down on the media is a sign of tyranny. The recent attack reflects the TMC’s predilection for violence and intolerance.

Yours faithfully,
Uttam K. Bhowmik, Tamluk