Umpire Rauf charged in IPL betting scandal

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf and the son-in-law of the Indian cricket board’s (BCCI) president were charged by Mumbai Police on Saturday in a betting scandal surrounding the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of BCCI president N. Srinivasan, was arrested in May after being quizzed by police probing illegal betting on the Twenty20 league.

A total of 22 people have been charged for gambling, cheating and fraud, the police said.

“The chargesheet runs into 11,609 pages and was submitted in the honourable court this afternoon,” Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of Mumbai Police, told reporters in Mumbai.

The 57-year-old Rauf, who has officiated 48 tests and 98 one-day internationals, was removed from the Champions Trophy panel in May by the International Cricket Council following reports of his involvement in the scandal.

The BCCI last week banned former India fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and another player for life on spot-fixing charges.

BCCI chief Srinivasan has distanced himself from Meiyappan, who was a top official with the IPL’s Chennai franchise.

“This is a matter for Mr Gurunath Meiyappan to deal with. If he is chargesheeted, the law will take it own course,” Srinivasan told reporters in Chennai.

“It is up to him to defend his position, it has got nothing to do with me.”