Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested Ali Asfak Thara the owner of Belagavi Panthers in Bengaluru for involving in betting during the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) tournament. Further, the CCB is conducting investigations to find out if there were any match-fixing activities involved in the KPL.
The Police officials have found Thara to be involved in betting activities with a Dubai-based bookie. Thara who came on board ahead of the 2017 season was taken into the custody on Monday. They have also found that Thara was in contact with players of other teams too. As part of the investigation, players are also being questioned.
“We arrested Belagavi Panthers team owner Ali Asfak Thara for placing bets on matches. The accused placed bets with the help of a Dubai-based bookie. Regarding match-fixing, it is still under inquiry. Investigation revealed that Thara was in touch with players of other teams during KPL matches. The players are being questioned,” – joint commissioner Sandeep Patil said.
The Panthers team who won the title in the 2017 season were spotted second in the points table in 2019 before losing to Hubli Tigers in the Qualifier 2 match. The team Panthers has been in the tournaments since the start of KPL. India batsman Manish Pandey was also part of the Panthers squad this season and played for the side in four matches.
The highly successful TNPL has also found itself in the middle of the spot-fixing storm. Both Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the BCCI’s Anti Corruption Unit are conducting inquiries after the allegations became public.
