Bookie Vinod Mulchandani's absconding accomplice Sheetal Shah was today arrested here for allegedly accepting bets on cricket matches in recently- concluded Indian Premier League (IPL)-6 season.
"Shetal Shah was arrested this evening for running a cricket betting racket. He was a partner of bookie Vinod Mulchandani who was arrested on May 25," said Crime Branch ACP Mayur Chavda.
The officer said nothing "incriminating" has so far been recovered from Shah and police are trying to ascertain if he was involved only in betting or spot fixing as well.
"A detailed interrogation will ascertain whether Shah is involved in fixing or betting," Chavda said.
Mulchandani was arrested from Ahmedabad in the wake of the IPL spot-fixing scandal and Rs. 1.28 crore in cash, 10 gold biscuits (weighing 1 kg) worth Rs. 26 lakh, 12 cellphones among other things were recovered from him.
Police zeroed in on Mulchandani after three Rajasthan Royals players, S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested from Mumbai on May 16. Gujarat Ranji cricketer-turned-bookie Amit Singh was also held in connection with the spot-fixing scandal that marred the IPL season.
According to police, Mulchandani's network was spread across Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Amreli and Ahmedabad from where he used to accept bets from punters and sub-agents.
Police were searching for Shah after primary interrogation of Mulchandani showed that Shah and other bookies Jeetu Tharad, Rakesh Rajkot, Kiran Thakkar and Chirag Maninagar also accepted bets on matches and passed on information to a top-level bookie in Mumbai.
