While granting bail to Vindoo Dara Singh,CSK team principal Gurunath Meiyappan and six others in the IPL spot-fixing case,the metropolitan magistrate observed police failure in proving cheating and forgery charges against them though they had ample opportunity to collect evidence. Observing that the police were far away from proving the charges,the court pointed out the inability of the police in getting substantial evidence to oppose the bail. In an 11-page order,magistrate M N Saleem observed,The prosecution availed an ample opportunity to interrogate and collect the material,but it is not in a position to point out actually who were cheated by virtue of forged documents by any of the accused. In the case of Meiyappan,the court observed that the prosecution had not tried to go beyond a solitary allegation that he placed bets through Vindoo. The prosecution nowhere claimed he has any connection with any cricketer,or that any player acted as per his command during the IPL 2013. The prosecution accepted that this applicant (Meiyappan) did not know the other accused except Vindoo, the order reads. With regard to Prem Taneja,arrested for sending a gift to Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf,the order states that the prosecution suppressed the evidence while seeking Tanejas custody on May 24. The prosecution sought his custody on the ground that the cargo allegedly sent by him is yet to be recovered. However,their say filed by the investigating officer indicates that on May 23,the cargo was already recovered. It means,by suppressing material facts the custodial interrogation of the accused was extended, the order reads.
