Report No. 276
A. Mudgal Committee
1.2 The Mudgal Committee found that a large number of people associated with IPL had indulged in hedging bets (Team against Team) and match fixing. The matches had been played in contravention of the IPL Operational Rules which brought about a stigma to the game. The Committee reported that the investigative agencies lack the tools to track the bookies, the wager amount and detect sporting fraud sans intelligence from sources such as phone tapping. In light of these problems, the investigative agencies stated before the Mudgal Committee that, "legalising sports betting would reduce the element of black money and the influence of the underworld besides helping them in detection and focusing their investigation".
1.3 In light of these observations, the Committee made the following recommendations:
- The present measures undertaken by BCCI in combating sporting fraud are ineffective and insufficient. The IPL governing body should be independent of BCCI.
- Agents of the players should be registered and should not be allowed to travel with the players.
- Employment of players in franchise group companies should be avoided. Players should not have stakes in agencies involved in the game of cricket. There is a need for stringent and effective control on players' agents.
- Separate law, investigating sic investigative agency and courts to deal with betting and match-fixing charges should be designed.
- The Law to govern such activities must be stern akin to anti- terror and anti-drug laws.
- Post-match parties where players have access to undesirable elements should be banned.
- BCCI should maintain and circulate among players, a list of undesirable elements.
- Senior players with unimpeachable record like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, and so on should caution and advise the younger players against pitfalls of indulging in malpractices like betting and match fixing/spot fixing. Such interactions with legends of the sport might be the most effective and deterrent means of preventing future wrongdoing.
- Most investigative agencies lament the fact that they lack proper tools for detecting sports frauds, know the names of the bookies and the betting amount. They can only use sources of intelligence such as phone tapping to detect fraud, which again has its own issues of privacy. These agencies have stated that legalising betting would reduce the involvement of black money, and the influence of underworld. Additionally, it would help them in detection of fraud and keep their investigation focused1.
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