Corruption in TNPL: Inquiry to be completed within a week

The TNCA inquiry committee, which is probing the allegations alongside the BCCI ACU, is expected to submit its report in about a week’s time. “The BCCI’s ACU looks after all T20 leagues in India. If they have found something wrong, they have intimated us about some owners for which an inquiry has been conducted. They (committee) are in the process of inquiring and they would be finishing it in about next one week. The owners and players have been asked to appear before the inquiry panel,” a TNCA insider told this paper.

A TNCA press release on Monday confirmed the internal inquiry but refused to give details “on the specifics” – teams, players or officials – till the process is over.

“Having received information of acts that would constitute, if accurate, offences under the regulatory framework of the TNPL, the TNCA had appointed a committee to enquire into the issue and submit a report and until the Committee has been afforded an opportunity to thoroughly examine the allegations and submit their report, the TNCA is unable to make any statements on the specifics of the allegations concerning teams, players or officials,” TNPL governing council chairman PS Raman stated in the press release.

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He also mentioned about the “robust anti-corruption programme”, in place for the tournament. “The 2019 Tournament in particular was brought under the ambit of the revised BCCI Anti-Corruption Code with BCCI appointed Anti-Corruption Officers deployed for the duration of the tournament in Tamil Nadu.”

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) head Vinod Rai said: “The ACU will look into the matter. Nothing has come to us. We are on track for elections.”

On Sunday ACU chief Ajit Singh had spoken about “a few instances” when players were approached. “These players have informed us and we are checking who have approached them. We are taking statements asking when they were approached, under what circumstances. Usually, the messages come on WhatsApp, so we are trying to establish IDs. We haven’t questioned any team owners, yet,” he had said.