IPL: Sreesanth got away of Spot-Fixing Charges for lack of Law, claims IPS Officer who Arrested Him

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The Indian Premier League was tainted with spot-fixing allegations back in 2013 as few players of Rajasthan Royals were alleged to be involved in it.

One of the prominent names from that major fiasco was Sreesanth, the former India pacer, who used to play for the Royals back then.

Sreesanth got arrested but the lack of a law against sports corruption in India resulted in his escape from a potential punishment and jurisdiction, claims the IPS officer who arrested the player.

IPS Neeraj Kumar, who was leading the Delhi Police Special Cell, arrested three Rajasthan Royals players, Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankit Chavan in spot-fixing allegations during the IPL 2013.

The players were life-banned and despite strong evidence against them, the honorary Supreme Court requested BCCI to lift the ban against the players. BCCI reduced the ban to seven years in 2019 and the players got free of the ban in 2020.

But the celebrated Police officer, who was the former commissioner of Delhi Police, says that it was only the lack of proper law against sports corruption in our country which led to Sreesanth and others getting their release from the allegations.

"The case seemingly didn't go anywhere...unfortunately, there is no law (in India) to deal with corruption in cricket or corruption in sports in general," Kumar said to PTI.

"Even a country like Zimbabwe has specific law. Australia, New Zealand have it. In Europe, there is a law because corruption is there not just in cricket but in football, tennis, golf," he added.

Kumar also says the lack of proper law stops police and other law enforcers from prosecuting the alleged personnel.

"So many things that we do, they do not stand test of judicial scrutiny. Who will come to the court and say I went to a cricket match expecting fair play and for everybody to play to his or her potential? So, in the absence of a victim, it becomes very difficult to prove a case," Kumar said.

Sreesanth didn't represent India after the allegations but played in the Ranji Trophy for Kerala before retiring from all forms of competitive cricket. He currently plays in many Legends and Veterans franchise tournaments across the world.