Mumbai/New Delhi: Embattled BCCI president N Srinivasan refused to quit on Saturday as his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was sent to police custody until May 29 in connection with the raging spot fixing scam in Indian cricket.
“I have not done anything wrong, I have no intention to resign. I cannot be bulldozed into resigning,” a defiant Srinivasan said in Mumbai amid rising demands that he must give up his post in the BCCI.
Kamal Nath became the first cabinet minister to demand Srinivasan’s resignation while Law Minister Kapil Sibal promised legislation soon to deal with corruption in sports.
Srinivasan flew into Mumbai from Chennai to meet his son-in-law but left for Kolkata, where his Chennai Super Kings will take on Mumbai Indians in the IPL final Sunday, without seeing him.
“The BCCI will follow its rules,” Srinivasan said. “There is no question of my stepping down. If someone wants to replace me, let him get elected. If I have done something wrong, then it is a different matter.”
Meiyappan has been linked to Bollywood actor Vindoo Dara Singh, arrested earlier for links with bookies who are accused of manipulating IPL matches using inside information from tainted players and others.
Meiyappan, who had initially refused to surrender until Monday, gave himself up late on Friday night to Mumbai Police.
After grilling him for three hours, police said they had recovered four mobiles from him which they needed to investigate to ascertain his role in the spot fixing scam.
Mumbai’s Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy said Meiyappan was arrested based on the evidences gathered so far in the probe.
“We have come to the conclusion that there is evidence of his involvement in the offence which we are investigating,” he said.
He added that police have recovered certain items from Meiyappan and Vindoo which would aid in the probe.
The duo will also be interrogated together and their voice samples taken to match certain conversations with suspected bookies tapped by the investigators, he said.
Kamal Nath said Srinivasan should go. “It is absolutely untenable for the BCCI chief to continue, he has no credibility left,” he said in New Delhi.
Srinivasan insisted that “vested interests” did not want him to head the BCCI. “It will be convenient for people to not have me here. Media has gone overboard against me.” (IANS)