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Indian court sends bookie Sanjeev Chawla to police custody

DELHI police have said London-based Indian bookmaker Sanjeev Chawla, who has been accused of involvement in a 2000 match-fixing scandal involving former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje, is in custody following his extradition from Britain.

A local court has ordered Chawla, who arrived in India on Thursday (13), to remain in police custody for 12 days, a senior crime branch officer of the Delhi Police said in a statement.


The police have been seeking Chawla's extradition since naming him in their 2013 charge-sheet along with four others.

The 2000 scandal, dubbed 'Hansiegate', opened the cricket world's eyes to the dangers of match-fixing, former joint commissioner KK Paul, who led the probe in 2000, told the Hindustan Times newspaper.

"This case was important for many reasons," he said after Chawla's arrival in India.

"It exposed the extent of match-fixing. Many had refused to believe such a thing could happen."

Delhi Police had been probing an unrelated extortion case when they stumbled upon a tape that eventually led to the unearthing of a scandal that rocked the game.

After initially denying fixing charges, Cronje confessed his role to an inquiry commission in South Africa. He was subsequently banned for life but died in a plane crash in 2002.

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This isn’t the first time Chaitanya has addressed criticism. In a recent interview, he opened up about dealing with trolls, admitting that while it bothered him early in his career, he has learnt to ignore the noise. “Clarifying things only leads to more drama. It’s a vicious cycle,” he said, adding that he now focuses on his work rather than responding to negativity.

Chaitanya’s upcoming film, Thandel, marks his third collaboration with director Chandoo Mondeti and his second pairing with Sai Pallavi after their hit film Love story. The survival drama, set to release on February 7, has already generated buzz, with fans eagerly waiting to see the duo’s chemistry on screen once again.

Having faced a mixed bag of box office results in recent years, Thandel is a crucial release for Chaitanya. Fans are eager to see if this film will mark a new chapter in his career and whether his continuous learning process pays off on the big screen.