mid-day exposes fake IPL talent scouts fleecing budding cricketers in Mumbai

midday investigationYou have heard about the Fake IPL Player Now learn about a fake IPL trial camp The Indian Premier League IPL is back in the news again for the wrong reasons On Wednesday midday busted a racket concerning a selection trial conducted at the Oval Maidan in Churchgate where candidates were told that they could eventually make the Kings XI Punjab team for next years edition of the Twenty20 leagueRavindra Gupta and Harvinder Singh right speak to a policeman at the Oval Maidan yesterdayTipped off about the socalled selection trial on Tuesday night midday reached the Oval Maidan at 730 am yesterday to find Harvinder Singh Satendra Singh and Ravindra Gupta alias Ravinder Garg on the ground waiting for trainees to arriveAlso read Mumbai Crime 6 CCI employees held for Rs 115crore fraudThe banner of the fake selection trial conducted at the Oval Maidan PicsBipin KokateMore than 15 aspirants approached the trio they were told to shell out Rs 2500 each at the time of registration A few of them paid and got set to bowl and bat Some merely got into action without payingBusted on fieldmidday accompanied an aspiring leftarm spinner to the tent at the High Courtend of the ground and met Harvinder Satendra and Gupta who revealed details about the camp While the young spinner was on the field they said he could be part of a camp in Chandigarh if he impressed them here When midday asked whether the bowler could be part of the IPL they said his fitness needed to improve suggesting a highprotein diet so that he could be fit to be tested further at the allIndia camp in Chandigarh If the selectors liked the lads talent he would be selected for the Kings Cup where he would be watched by the likes of Virender Sehwag the Kings XI Punjab Director of Cricket OperationsA fake selection trial conducted at the Oval Maidan where candidates were told that they could eventually make the Kings XI Punjab team for next yearrsquos edition of the Indian Premier LeagueSmelling a rat midday called up the franchises Chief Executive Officer Satish Menon to check whether this was indeed his selection camp An alarmed Menon replied in the negative and informed the Marine Drive police station from where policemen arrived in 20 minutes just as Harvinder Satendra and Gupta were getting ready to wrap up the campAlso read IPL scam Delhi Police challenges discharge of all accusedHarvinder Singh and Ravindra GuptaThe trio was asked to produce relevant documents and permission to conduct a camp on behalf of Kings XI Punjab Unconvinced the police took them to the police station and arrested themScam starts on social mediaSatendra had shared the announcement of the trial camp on his Facebook page recently with the post generating interest amongst IPL aspirants Nearly 50 had inquired about the trials Players had also shared it on WhatsApp with their friends which resulted in aspirants turning up from as far as Telangana Pune and Navi MumbaiHe had also boasted that a similar trial was held in Aurangabad a few weeks ago which saw a larger turnout And a pitch was booked at Punes Balewadi Sports Complex to conduct a trial on November 10 15 and 30In their interrogation the police found out that Aditya Bhandari who had reportedly been booked for a cricket coachingrelated fraud in Amritsar in 2014 was the alleged mastermind Police sources said he was the one who had contacted Harvinder and Gupta who were unemployed in New Delhi to work for his Arnav Cricket AcademyAlso read IPL scam SC rejects BCCIs panel asks Justice Mudgal to continue probeTheir task along with Mumbaibased Satendra was to conduct the trials for Kings Cup The police are on the lookout for himIt is completely illegal and we oppose it We have filed an FIR let the legal case take over for further proceedings against them said Menon who stressed that there was no way a camp for their franchise could be held in Mumbai because the city does not come under their catchment area as per BCCI rulesAlso viewBizarre 8 freak accidents that resulted in death