IPS officer seeks pre-arrest bail in IPL betting case

Suspended IPS officer G. Sampath Kumar, who has been named an accused in the IPL betting and match fixing case, has moved the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail following a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by a magistrate court here.
In his petition, Sampath Kumar, who initially probed the betting and spot fixing in IPL-6, submitted that CB-CID police had made a false claim before the magistrate's court that he was absconding and obtained the warrant.
When the bail plea came up for hearing today before vacation judge K. Kalyanasundaram, counsel for Sampath Kumar said the investigating agency was bent upon arresting him though he was very much available for inquiry.

The judge adjourned the matter which would now be heard by a regular bench of the Court when it reopens in June.
Sampath Kumar, charged with accepting bribe from a bookie, said he had been made an accused on the basis of confession by two key suspects.
Claiming that he had been unnecessarily implicated in the case, he said it was done with an "intention of silencing him from probing the IPL betting scandal."

His counsel Paul Kanagaraj said the officer's petition seeking to quash the criminal case against him was already pending before the high court and added that while filing the charge sheet in the betting scandal case police had wrongly claimed that he was absconding.

Stating that he was in no way connected with the case and that he was innocent, Sampath Kumar offered to give an undertaking to furnish sureties and comply with all necessary conditions if the court granted him anticipatory bail. He said it was his first anticipatory bail plea in the court.
Besides betting, cheating and criminal intimidation charges, the officer had been slapped with offences punishable under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
He had deposed before the Mudgal Committee appointed by the Supreme Court to inquire into allegations of betting and match-fixing in the IPL.