Govt speeds up fraud bill process

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 5

The Government has expedited the process of introducing the ‘Prevention of Sporting Fraud Bill, 2013’ in the Cabinet before the next session of the Parliament in August by sending the proposed Anti-fixing legislation to the Law Ministry for vetting.

The Sports Ministry recently placed the revised draft of the bill before the Law Ministry’s Legislative Department, which is mainly concerned with drafting of all principal legislation for the Central Government.

The Home Ministry has already given its nod to the draft bill that envisages checking spot-fixing and illegal betting in sporting events.

“We have sent the bill to the Law Ministry with our approval. The bill has been prepared by the Sports Ministry in consultation with the Home and the Law Ministry. We will soon put the bill before the Cabinet once we receive it back from the Legislative Department after its remarks,” said the source.

After getting the bill back, the Sports Ministry is expected to prepare a note for the Cabinet for its approval before placing it in the Parliament to make it a law.

The sports fraud bill — which was the brainchild of former Sports Minister in the UPA-II government, Ajay Maken — prescribes a maximum punishment of imprisonment for five years and a fine of Rs 10 lakh or five times the economic benefits derived by the person from sporting fraud, whichever is greater.

According to the bill, a sporting fraud is committed when a player directly or indirectly “manipulates or tries to manipulate result, irrespective of whether the outcome is actually altered or not or deliberately misapplies the rules of the sport”. The bill also brings officials of governing bodies under its purview by including “failure to disclose knowledge of or attempt for sporting fraud” in its definition of sporting corruption.

This legislation traces its origin to the IPL spot-fixing controversy, when three Rajasthan Royals cricketers, including India speedster S Sreesanth, were found guilty of fixing matches during the league stage.

The source also informed that the revised National Sports Development Bill (NSDB) is ready and has been circulated to all the stake holders, including the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

“The Ministry is committed towards introducing it in the Cabinet in the next couple of weeks. Sports Minister Sarbanada Sonowal had a fruitful discussion with the IOA officials over the age and tenure clause. We have accommodated suggestions made by the IOA,” the source added.