UP T20 League faces match-fixing allegations, Bookie offers Rs 1 crore to team owner; FIR lodged

The Lucknow police have filed an FIR following a complaint made by the BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) about an alleged attempt to fix matches during the ongoing UP T20 League.

The development, which was reported by Times Now, has shocked the cricket fraternity in the lead-up to the final between Kashi Rudras and Meerut Mavericks on Saturday, September 6.

As per the FIR, filed on August 31, Arjun Chauhan, the team manager for Kashi Rudra, received a peculiar message from an Instagram user named "vipss_nakrani". The sender introduced himself as a major bookie and offered Rs 1 crore to influence match results, also assuring a Rs 50 lakh commission.

A trap was laid after the team manager took ACU into confidence. ACU members started chatting on Instagram, and they didn't take much time to get the accused's phone number. The accused ordered them to strictly use WhatsApp for calls and messages and demanded that players follow his directions during matches. He also promised instant payment in cash or dollars.

The accused mentioned that, if they wanted, he and his confederates would be present at the ground premises during the entirety of the match and would process the payment to him straightaway once it concluded. The ACU recorded all the conversations and calls on a different device, all of which have been given to the police.

According to police, the initial investigation indicates a planned scheme regarding match-fixing and betting. In addition to other provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police confirmed that charges have been brought under provisions 318, 319, 112, 62, Section 3 of the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

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Investigators are currently working to find out the owner of the Instagram profile and dismantle their network. The UP T20 League commenced in Lucknow on August 17 and will conclude on September 6. Apart from the finalists, Lucknow Falcons and Kanpur Superstars made it to the playoffs. Kashi Rudras won Qualifier 1 against Meerut Mavericks by five runs. The Mavericks defeated the Falcons by 19 runs to make it to the summit clash.