CBI gives clean chit to Kapil

Manoj Prabhakar has stated that during Singer Cup, 1994, at Colombo, Sri Lanka, Kapil had offered him Rs 25 lakh to underperform in the match against Pakistan. According to Prabhakar, Kapil Dev had come to his room when he was in the bathroom and Prabhakar’s room-mate Sidhu called him out and told him that `Paaji’ had come with some offer. Thereafter, Kapil offered him Rs 25 lakh to underperform in the next match against Pakistan. Prabhakar has further stated that he started shouting at Kapil and accused him of `selling’ the country. He has stated that Navjot Singh Sidhu was also present when this incident took place. Prabhakar added that, on hearing the commotion, Prashant Vaidya, who was in the adjoining room also came to his room to find out the reasons for the commotion. Prabhakar has further stated that after this incident, he reported the matter to Ajit Wadekar, the Coach and Azharuddin, the Captain, during that series. He also informed Ravi Shashtri and Sunil Gavaskar about the incident.

The only `eyewitness’ to this alleged incident, as claimed by Manoj, is Navjot Singh Sidhu. He has completely denied that any such incident took place in his presence. He has stated that Prabhakar had once casually told him during that series that Kapil Dev had made him an `offer’. The possible `chance’ witness — Prashant Vaidya — has also stated that he has no knowledge of any such incident and had heard about it for the first time when somebody from Outlook magazine approached him sometime in 1997 for his version of the alleged incident. Vaidya’s room mate during that tour, Nayan Mongia has also denied any knowledge of this incident. Ajit Wadekar and Azharuddin have also denied that Prabhakar had told them about the incident.

Only Ravi Shastri has stated that Prabhakar had told him about the alleged offer about 3 to 4 days after the alleged incident, but he did not believe him.

Prabhakar was also asked by CBI vide letter dated 30.8.2000, whether he would volunteer to undergo Lie Detection Test to substantiate his allegations. He agreed for a conditional Lie Detection Test. However, he did not respond to our request to appear for Lie Detection Test between 25.9.2000 to 28.9.2000.

Kapil Dev has completely denied that he had made any `offer’ to Prabhakar during the Singer Cup, 1994. He has also stated that he never had the best of relationship with Prabhakar and has cited two incidents which could have motivated Prabhakar to make allegations against him. One of these incidents relates to the 1987 series in England, when Kapil Dev included Madan Lal in the playing eleven at the expense of Prabhakar, although Madan Lal was not in the original team and was only playing league cricket in England. The other incident relates to the advice given by Kapil Dev to the Escort Management not to include Prabhakar in the Board of Directors of Escorts Ltd.

CBI has also gone through the `Tehelka Tapes’ and evaluated the observations made about Kapil Dev by Jaywant Lele, Ajit Wadekar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Prashant Vaidya, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, etc, but no credible and actionable evidence can be deducted from their observations.

There is thus no credible evidence to substantiate the allegation of Manoj Prabhakar that Kapil Dev had offered him Rs 25 lakh to underperform during the Singer Cup Series 1994, in Sri Lanka.

Kapil Dev was also probed with regard to his linkages, if any, with the betting syndicate. His telephone/cell phone analysis has not disclosed any contact with bookies/punters. Two of his close associates Karun Dube and Hiren Hathi were also enquired into to find whether Kapil Dev could have operated through them. The enquiry has not disclosed either Karun Dube or Hiren Hathi having linkages with the betting syndicate. Their telephone/cell phone analysis has also not indicated any contacts with bookies/punters.

Uttamchand, a bookie from Chennai, has stated that Kapil Dev had on one occasion played cards in a large group at Hotel Adyar Park Sheraton, Chennai. Although Uttamchand was a part of that card playing group, he did not personally know Kapil Dev and the `card group’ was also organised by one Hira Lal and not by him. Kapil Dev has admitted that he is fond of playing cards and has been to cards sessions at Hotel Adyar Park in the company of Bharat Reddy, ex-wicket keeper of India. However, there is no evidence of any contact between Uttamchand and Kapil Dev thereafter.

Kapil Dev is very close to Ajay Jadeja and has stated that Jadeja is like a son to him. However, there is no evidence to indicate that Kapil Dev has used Jadeja as a conduit to the betting syndicate.

With regard to the 1999 Ahmedabad Test against New Zealand, Sachin Tendulkar has stated that the decision not to enforce follow-on collective, influenced by the fact that bowlers, especially Srinath, had expressed that they were too tired. Kapil Dev has corroborated this version. Moreover, both of them have stated that the decision was arrived at during the lunch on the 4th day. There is no evidence that Kapil Dev had passed on any information to the betting syndicate about this match.

In the case of Kapil Dev, no evidence has surfaced so far of his linkage with the betting syndicate, both during his playing career and after retirement.

* Manoj Prabhakar did not respond to CBI’s request to him to appear for the Lie Detector test

* Tendulkar said the decision not to enforce a followon in the 1999 Ahmedabad test was a collective decision, influenced by the fact that bowlers, especially Srinath, had expressed that they were too tired.