IPL spot-fixing case: Court drops charges against Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan
New Delhi: All the 36 accused persons including former India capped cricketer S Sreesanth were on Saturday discharged in the IPL-6 spot fixing case by a Delhi court.
Besides the 16 arrested, 20 others also discharged in the case. Among those dischrged are cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet C
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 25, 2015Other two prominent IPL players -- Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan -- who were on bail were also discharged in the case in which six persons including underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel were declared proclaimed offenders.
"All are discharged (from the case)," Additional Sessions Judge Neena Bansal Krishna said while pronouncing the order.
The case was Saturday put for order on framing of charges against the 36 accused persons who were on bail. Sreesanth, 32, broke down on hearing the order while the other accused including the players present in the courtroom started hugging each other.
I am thankful to God, I want to start training again and hopefully should get BCCI's permission too-S Sreesanth pic.twitter.com/e1dtxveM5F
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2015I am so relieved, I just could not control my tears today-S Sreesanth
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2015Talking to PTI, Sreesanth said at last justice has been done to him, adding, "God willing, I will be able to return to cricket. I have no regrets, no complaints."
The court had on May 23 reserved for today the order on framing of charges in the case.
Special Cell of Delhi Police had named 42 accused in the case in its charge sheet out of whom six are absconding. Police had told the court that properties of Dawood and Shakeel in Mumbai have already been attached in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and that they have not visited India since 1993.
Police had informed the court that Dawood had properties in his name at Dongri in Mumbai whereas Shakeel owned properties in Nagpada there.
The court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against Dawood and Shakeel, Pakistan-based Javed Chutani, Salman alias Master and Ehteysham, who all are considered to be Dawood's associates.
The police had filed a 6,000-page charge sheet against various accused in the case. It had also filed supplementary charge sheet later on.
The court had granted bail to Sreesanth, Chavan and other accused for lack of evidence against them under the provisions of stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Other accused, including Chandila, were also granted bail later on by the court.
The police, in its charge sheet, had claimed that Dawood and Shakeel, who have been "controlling the fixing and betting market" in cricket in India, were behind IPL spot-fixing.
Ajit Chandila, who was a part of Rajasthan Royals then, said, “IPL case was a bad dream for me and my family, I am very happy today.”
IPL case: It was a bad dream for me and my family, I am very happy today-Ajit Chandila after being acquitted pic.twitter.com/xpLNM84j5e
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2015IPL case: The tension and disappointment is now over, I am looking forward to the future-Ankeet Chavan pic.twitter.com/o6zGOWeUgc
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2015