Filing of corruption case
against Azhar, Ajay Sharma possible

Former India cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin and ex-Delhi captain Ajay Sharma, who have been indicted in the Central Bureau of Investigation report as been being involved in in match-fixing and betting in cricket, can be charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act since they are public servants, working for government organisations, says the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The agency is considering the feasibility of registering a case under the PCA against Azhar and Ajay Sharma, says the 162-page report on match-fixing in Indian cricket, which was made public by Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, in Delhi on Wednesday.

While Azhar is working for State Bank of India as Chief Manager, PRO, in Hyderabad, Ajay Sharma is employed by Central Warehousing Corporation, which makes them public servants under Section 2 (c) of the PCA, 1988.

"An offence under section 13 (1) (d) (i) and (iii) (criminal misconduct) of the PCA can be registered against the two players (Azhar and Ajay Sharma). However, looking at the issue in its totality, the question of registration of a case under the aforesaid sections of PCA is under evaluation,'' says the report.

However, most of the others who have been found guilty by the agency of match-fixing and betting -- Ajay Jadeja, Nayan Mongia and Manoj Prabhakar and former physio Dr Ali Irani -- do not fall within the definition of 'public servants' and hence the PCA does not apply to them, the report says.

The CBI discussed the report with Solicitor General of India Harish Salve before handing it over to the Sports Ministry. Salve, after scanning the evidence, was in broad agreement that no criminal charges under cheating or under the Gambling Act can be filed against anyone because of the nebulous position of law in this regard, as well as the improbability of the investigating agency being able to obtain sufficient legal evidence.

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Mail Cricket Editor