ICC Chairman’s Son-In-Law Indicted In Illegal Betting Scandal

Meiyappan cleared on match-fixing charges but found guilty of illegal betting during 2013 IPL season.

Gurunath Meiyappan, the son-in-law of International Cricket Council chairman N. Srinivasan, was recently arraigned on illegal betting charges in New Delhi. He has been in the Indian gambling news since his highly controversial arrest and trial in 2013.

The Justice Mudgal panel that indicted Mr. Meiyappan consists of the now retired Mukul Mudgal, Additional Solicitor General L. Nageswar Rao and Senior Advocate Nilay Dutta. The panel found Meiyappan guilty of participating in illegal bets during the 2013 season of Indian Premier League (IPL).

In Meiyappan's defense, his lawyers argued that their client was just another cricket enthusiast. However, Meiyappan was betrayed by voice analysis recordings which proved he was betting illegally, confirmed Senior Advocate Dutta.

Furthermore, investigators working for the prosecutors corroborated that Meiyappan was indeed an official board member of the Chennai Super Kings. The latter is a franchisee of the Indian Premier League, owned by Srinivasan's India Cements Ltd.

Proof was also found that Meiyappan was also using an intermediate to contact bookies. This is also an infringement on Indian gambling laws. However the three-member panel admitted that they could not uphold the more felonious charges of match-fixing against the accused, due to lack of evidence.