All CBI evidence will land at Madhavan’s table

CBI officials denied though that video recordings of the interrogations of players had been done for the match-fixing case.

Madhavan himself says he was now in the process to sending letters to the five indicted players, the Indian team’s former physiotherapist and the indicted groundsman to appear before him and present their viewpoint. The letters will be sent in his capacity as legal advisor and commissioner of the BCCI. The venue for what he calls a “limited inquiry” would be shortly fixed. Madhavan is expected to complete his task before November 18, when BCCI’s two-week ban on the indicted players and officials comes to an end.

The former CBI officer says he would not be indulging in a “roving inquiry” but be giving the indicted players an occasion to clear their name. “I have a duty to help them if they are innocent and recommend punishments for them if they are guilty.”

While refusing to comment on specific observations made by the CBI in its report, Madhavan said he disagreed with the agency on some counts. On booking Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma under the Prevention of Corruption Act since they worked with Public Sector Undertakings, he said this could only be done under Section 13 (1e) and not section 13 (1d) as mentioned in CBI’s report. “A case can be made out against them for acquiring disproportionate assets but not because they misused their office,” he argued.

Madhavan also felt that while the CBI had listed a lot of evidence against the cricketers, the report was silent on the factors due to which the agency felt the BCCI was aware of the going-ons.“The basis and facts because of which some conclusions have been made against the BCCI have not been spelled,” he said.

He clarified that while he was not attempting a re-examination of the evidence and thought the CBI had submitted a “reasonably good” report, his questioning of players could lead to a change of emphasis on certain points. “So while I may not differ entirely with the findings of the CBI, it is possible I will give a different interpretation to certain conclusions drawn by them. All this will form part of my report and final recommendations for the BCCI.”