Saturday, June 11 2005 16:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ahmedabad: The interrogation of the Mumbai-based bookie Shobhan Mehta has revealed that his cricket-betting network ran far and wide into cricket playing nations across the seas like Pakistan, England and Australia, police sources said in Ahmedabad today (Jun 11, 2005).

"The interrogation of Mehta, who was brought from Mumbai on a transfer warrant with regard to a cricket betting case and lodged here, has thrown up certain interesting facts," Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), D G Vanjara said.

"He not only ran a cricket betting racket in the entire country but also had had links with an Australian bookie Mark Peter and an England bookie code-named 'Black 0365'," Vanjara told reporters adding, "He was also associated with bookies in Pakistan."

However, Vanjara said that during Mehta's interrogation, the name of batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar did not figure.

Talking about the modus operandi of how Mehta conducted his betting racket, Vanjara said, "He used to bet on the result of a particular match like whether it will be a win or loss for one team or a draw."

The bookies associated with Mehta used to get 'tips' about "factors affecting a match, directly or indirectly from the players," he said.

"Tips about pitch condition, weather, toss, individual team strategy, physical fitness of important players and other matter were obtained by the bookies," Vanjara said.

"Mehta used to place bets on the entire match after getting such tips," he added.

"He also revealed that such tips were passed on to bookies by Indian players like Azharuddin, Mongia and Jadeja and foreign players like Mark Waugh and later Cronje," Vanjara said adding, "No names of any current player has cropped up during the bookie's interrogation."

Vanjara also said that Mehta has not parted any information in connection with the recent India-Pakistan one-day match played at Motera stadium where huge betting reportedly occurred when the match was delayed for about 30 minutes.

Mehta also did not reveal anything regarding his alleged involvement with a Gujarat MP, Vanjara added.