Ranjit Batla (59), infamous for allegedly using a doctor to lure former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje into fixing matches in 1999, was arrested by sleuths from the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) during a raid at his house on Saturday night.
Ranjit Batla (59), infamous for allegedly using a doctor to lure former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje into fixing matches in 1999, was arrested by sleuths from the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) during a raid at his house on Saturday night.
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Preliminary medical tests have indicated that Batla and 11 others, including four prostitutes, were under the influence of drugs.
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The police recovered two grams of cocaine and five grams of hashish from Batla's ground-floor apartment in Colaba.
ANC officials told MiD DAY that Batla introduced his clients, mostly under the influence of drugs, to prostitutes in discos and then also made arrangements of apartments for them.
"We are questioning Batla about his clients. We suspect some top cricketers and film stars are his customers," said API Kedar Pawar.
Cronje connection
According to media reports, in February 1999, Batla and his associate Vicky Jain, who supplied drugs to some cricketers, brought Cronje to an apartment at Bandra Reclamation to fix a One Day International.
Bookie Laxmikanth Thane had organised the meeting and another associate Ajay Jadiya was also present. Jain and Batla introduced Cronje to a doctor from a government hospital in Sion at midnight.
After having several drinks, Cronje and the doctor allegedly spent more than an hour in isolation. However, the match could not be fixed since Cronje was drunk.
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Batla's entry in the crime world started in 1990 when he worked at a gambling den in Bandra. He later took over the cocaine business and moved to Colaba.
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