Ministry clears Sports Fraud Bill

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 29

A few days after three cricketers, including former India player S Sreesanth, were let off by a Delhi court due to lack of evidence, the Sports Ministry on Tuesday cleared the passage of the much-awaited Sports Fraud Bill.

Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal convened a meeting last evening to discuss the fallout of the verdict and decided to accept most of the recommendations of the Law Ministry, so as to table the proposed legislation before the Cabinet next month.

Sonowal was of the view that the Delhi court’s decision to exonerate all three players in the IPL spot-fixing scandal had come as an embarrassment to the government and that there was an urgent need to bring in place a stringent law to punish the guilty involved in betting and match-fixing.

A senior Sports Ministry official told The Tribune that the Ministry was in the process of preparing a Cabinet note and the proposed legislation would be sent to the Cabinet for its final approval.

“If cleared, it would be introduced in the Winter Session of the Parliament. The bill will have a provision of a five-year jail term and a fine of Rs 10 lakh in the betting and spot-fixing related cases. The Minister agreed to the amendments suggested by the Legislative Department,” the official said.

The Bill would, thus, replace the “Public Gambling Act of 1867” in which any person found involved in betting could only be fined Rs 200 or up to three months in prison.

The immediate trigger point to clear the bill was the open criticism from Justice Mukul Mudgal, who cited lack of proper legislation in place as a likely reason behind the acquittal of the 36 accused in the case. “The Minister agreed with Mudgal’s observations and emphasised on the need to bring the Bill before the Parliament at the earliest,” the official said.

Once cleared by the Parliament, the Bill has provisions for all the NSFs to draft ‘code of conduct’ for their players, match officials and office bearers.