'Bookie' Sanjeev Chawla moves HC challenging custodial remand

London based businessman Sanjeev Chawla, who was extradited to India for his alleged involvement in a match-fixing racket, moved the Delhi High Court on Friday challenging his 12-day custodial remand pronounced by the Patiala House Court.Chawla, through his counsel, challenged the custodial remand on the grounds that it was against the extradition treaty signed between the United Kingdom and India.

Speaking to ANI, BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit chief Ajit Singh said: "Delhi Police is looking into the matter, our officers in Delhi will follow up. If permitted we would like to talk to him (Chawla). Our Anti-Corruption Unit will contact the Delhi Police."

 

Chawla was extradited from London on Wednesday. Decks were cleared for his extradition to India after his plea against expulsion was rejected by London's Royal Courts of Justice on January 16.

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Thursday granted police 12-day custody of Chawla, who was allegedly involved in a match-fixing racket that was busted by the Delhi Police in 2000.

Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Shrivastava and Anil Paswan had told the court that the accused is required to be confronted with evidence in connection with match-fixing of five ODI international matches and some test matches that took place in 2000.The police had told the court that Chawla is required to be taken to six places -- Nagpur, Banglore, Kochi, Mumbai and Jamshedpur and Vadodara -- for investigation.The police named him as the main conspirator and kingpin of match-fixing. The police also told the court that multiple countries were involved in the conspiracy.

Advocates Vineet Malhotra along with Hemant Shah, who appeared for Sanjeev Chawla, opposed the Delhi Police's plea seeking custodial interrogation stating that chargesheet has been filed in the case.The advocates said that as per extradition terms and conditions, the government has assured that Chawla would be only kept in Tihar Jail.Malhotra said that Chawla is not an Indian citizen, which was opposed by prosecutors saying that he was an Indian citizen earlier.