Karnataka Premier League Match-Fixing Probe: Owner Of Belagavi Panthers Arrested For Alleged Betting

Ali Asfak Thara, the owner of Belagavi Panthers, one of the franchises in the Karnataka Premier League (KPL), has been arrested for allegedly betting on the tournament. The Panthers team have been with KPL since its inception in 2009.

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 25 September 2019 8:38 am

Karnataka's league cricket team Belagavi Panthers' owner Ali Asfak Thara was arrested for his alleged involvement in a betting scam in the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) Tournament, run by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), police said on Wednesday (September 25).

"On a tip-off that Thara was in touch with a Dubai-based bookie, the city's central crime branch police have taken him into custody on Tuesday (September 24) to unearth the betting scam in the league cricket," Bengaluru joint commissioner of police Sandeep Patil said.

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The KSCA runs the KPL T20 tournament every year on the lines of the popular Indian Premier League (IPL) T-20 tournament by the cash-rich Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"We are investigating Thara's role in an alleged match fixing in which a few players of other teams are reportedly involved. We have summoned them also for questioning, as he was in touch with some of them," Patil said in a statement.

KPL 2019 was held from August 16-31.

(IANS)