Neeraj Kumar said some cricketers had said during anti-corruption seminars conducted by the BCCI that they had heard about Joban. (Source: Sun Screenshot)
Sobers Joban, the former Delhi cricketer who was seen in a video released by The Sun purportedly offering to sell details of “fixed” sessions of the ongoing Ashes Test in Perth, was first red-flagged by the BCCI in 2015, the board’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit chief Neeraj Kumar told The Indian Express.
Joban came on the ACSU’s radar for allegedly duping domestic cricketers after promising slots in IPL and Ranji teams in exchange of Rs 3-4 lakh.
“In anti-corruption investigation, we use the term Person of Interest and Joban falls into that category. The ACSU received complaints from players cheated by Joban. He took money from them in return for a place in IPL or domestic teams. When he failed to keep his word, the players approached us,” said Kumar, a former Delhi Police chief.
Kumar said some cricketers had said during anti-corruption seminars conducted by the BCCI that they had heard about Joban. “We had advised the players to stay away from Joban because he was cheating cricketers. His photograph was also circulated. Some of the players also told us that they knew of Joban or had seen him. We have been watching him closely over the last two years,” he said.
According to Kumar, the other alleged bookie in The Sun video, Priyank Saxena, was summoned as a witness when the Mumbai Crime Branch cracked down on an alleged inter-state continued on cricket racket, based on a tip-off from the ACSU last month. “He (Saxena) has been questioned as a witness by the Mumbai crime branch. He played the victim and said he had been duped,” Kumar said.
On Thursday, the crime branch arrested a fourth suspect as part of its investigation into the alleged fraud in which cricketers were promised slots in domestic and IPL teams in return for money.
Also read | Ex-Delhi cricketer Sobers Joban stung in ‘fixing’ video, father says hang him if guilty
Investigators suspect Joban was more than just an agent who promises fringe players a break. Joban’s modus operandi was similar to that adopted by bookies who run unofficial T20 leagues, field teams and lure players to indulge in spot-fixing, according to a police officer investigating two such tournaments, Rajputana and Rajwada, in and around Jaipur.
“Joban’s name cropped up during questioning after we busted the Rajputana Cricket League. He knows how to organise a tournament and set up teams. He seems to be at the service of organisers of these shady leagues. I wouldn’t put it beyond him to be involved in spot-fixing because his methods are similar. Joban would also take teams to Goa and the North-East,” said the officer.
In the video released by The Sun, Joban is purportedly shown boasting that he could get players to send “signals” before rigged overs in IPL matches. The video also purportedly shows him talking about fixing “four to five” Big Bash T20 league games, and bragging about contacts with cricketers from Australia, Pakistan and South Africa.
Joban was a top-order batsman and represented Himachal Pradesh in U-17, U-19 and U-22 age-group matches before playing for Delhi in the Under-22 category in the 2007-08 season. His playing career came to an end in 2013, when questions were raised about the veracity of his documents, leading to a police case in Himachal Pradesh.
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