CoA instructs BCCI to probe corruption allegations against Shami

Troubles seem to be far away from over for disgraced cricketer Mohammed Shami. After Hasin Jahan, wife of the former accused him of multiple heinous charges including infidelity, domestic violence and corruption; Committee of Administrators (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai has instructed BCCI's Anti-Corruption chief Neeraj Kumar to probe the corruption allegations against Shami.

New Delhi: Troubles seem to be far away from over for disgraced cricketer Mohammed Shami. After Hasin Jahan, wife of the former accused him of multiple heinous charges including infidelity, domestic violence and corruption; Committee of Administrators (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai has instructed BCCI's Anti-Corruption chief Neeraj Kumar to probe the corruption allegations against Shami.

BCCI previously withheld the annual contract of the 27-year-old after Hasin Jahan came up with scintillating charges.

The CoA chief Vinod Rai in a letter to Neeraj Kumar asked him to submit a report within a week. It is to be noted that the letter nowhere mentions the word "match fixing".

"This has reference to the various media reports pertaining to allegations against Md. Shami. The Committee of Administrators has listened to the audio recording of a telephonic conversation which it is claimed is between Md. Shami and his wife. The said audio recording is available in public domain," Rai wrote in the letter, which is in possession of PTI.

Jahan has alleged that Shami "took money from a Pakistani woman named Alishba on the insistence of an England-based businessman Mohammad Bhai".

"The Committee of Administrators is concerned only with such portion of the said audio recording in which the person who it is claimed is Md Shami is heard saying another person by the name of ‘Mohammad Bhai’ had sent money to Md. Shami through a Pakistani lady by the name of 'Alisba'."

"Please investigate the above assertions/ allegations under the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code and submit a report to the Committee of Administrators with your findings as to whether there is any basis to proceed further in terms thereof."

Rai wrote that the terms of investigation should cover (i) "the identity and antecedents of ‘Mohammad Bhai’ and ‘Alisba’; (ii) whether any money was in fact sent by the said Mohammad Bhai through the said Alisba to Md. Shami; and (iii) if yes, the purpose for which the said money was received by Md. Shami."

The investigation will be only about the corruption allegations, Rai asserted.

"The Committee of Administrators wishes to emphasize that the investigation be limited to the above issues only and not deal with any of the other allegations against Md. Shami unless you find that the same fall within the purview of the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code," he added.

The Indian cricketer has already been booked under various sections of the Indian penal code (IPC) which includes 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 323 (Causing hurt), 307 (Attempt to murder), 376 (Punishment for rape), 506 (Criminal intimidation), 328 (Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence.), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.