Kapil’s liaison man’ has now got several tags

The raiding-party questioned Hathi about “Paaji (Kapil’s)’s investment in Gujarat”. He told them that Kapil had no investment in the state, but has trading and other business in which he helps by way of consultancy.

“It may be that Paaji buys coal in bulk from Australia, then I find buyers and get my commission,” he explained. He has also supervised execution of some projects undertaken by Kapil’s companies, like the installation of floodlights in Motera stadium by Dev Muscko Private Limited, for which he was paid a commission.

Hathi said he has good relations with Ajay Jadeja, Mohammad Azharuddin, Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar and other cricketers, but has no business association with them. “I may do something for them at a personal level, but not for money. In any case, not many of them have a business,” he said.

For Hathi, the raid was not entirely unexpected. “Just last Monday I was in Delhi and Kapil Paaji asked me: Tere paas koi aaye ke nahin?” said Hathi, adding, “But the fact that it was an I-T raid was a surprise. I was expecting only the CBI.”

Nevertheless, when the raiding party woke him up at 7.45 am, Hathi feared the worst. “I had seen I-T raids only in Hindi movies and expected them to hit me. On the contrary, they were extremely polite and friendly,” he says.

The only son of a Bank of India Assistant General Manager Dineshbhai Hathi, who was a diehard cricket fan, Hiren has played cricket at the university level. It was through Natwar Thakkar, a former Gujarat Ranji Trophy player, that Hathi met Kapil Dev. Thakkar, who is now in the US, was said to be Kapil’s close friend.

Hathi recalled, “I was a cricket-fanatic and Paaji was my idol. When I was studying in Gujarat College, Kapil Dev was invited as the chief guest for a function and Thakkar introduced me to him.” An ardent cricket-lover, Hathi made the most out of the opportunity. “I was elated when Paaji gave me his telephone-number,” he added.

Hathi remained in touch with Kapil. “I used to be in Vadodara whenever he came there to play a match. That is how our relationship grew,” he recalled. When Thakkar became an event manager after retirement from his cricketing career, Kapil Dev, by now a mega celebrity, was a big help. And after Thakkar left for the US about a decade ago, Hathi comfortably stepped into his shoes.

A man who seems to know his Dale Carnegie by heart, Hathi soon had quite a few other cricket-stars as friends. From receiving the stars at the airport to being at their beck and call, Hathi did it all, say those who have known him over the years. Although from a Gujarati medium background, he made it a point to learn English when “somebody told me that I could not continue with my friendship with the stars if I don’t know English”.

“I am an extrovert. Hence using my proximity to Paaji, I am now friendly with all the cricketers of India. I have Jadeja’s telephone number in my diary because he is a friend. But the I-T officials asked me the reason for his number being there,” he said. Hathi has another cricket connection: he is member of the Central Board of Cricket in Ahmedabad.

Contrary to the rags-to-riches’ stories circulating about him, there is nothing flashy or exorbitant about Hathi’s apartment. It is a typical Gujarati house, with a hitchko hanging from one side of the ceiling in the hall in which Hathi swung as he spoke to The Indian Express.

All that the raiding party found from Hathi’s residence was Rs 6,500 and $200, which were returned to him. On the Friday, the search of his residence completed, Hathi was asked to accompany I-T officials to his bank for a scrutiny of his accounts and the safe vault. “Except for a few papers, which included papers of one of my companies which was sold some 15 years ago, they have not taken away anything,” Hathi said.

All through the brief interview, Hathi’s telephone kept ringing, with friends inquiring about his well-being. Those who visited him said that Hathi is innocent and had nothing to do with match-fixing.