CBI probes match-fixing in Indian football, five clubs under scanner

Top international fixer may have invested in IndiaPANAJI: The CBI is investigating match-fixing of football matches after it emerged that a notorious international fixer could have invested “huge amount of money” in at least five Indian football clubs through shell companies. CBI officials visited the All India Football Federation (AIFF) headquarters in Delhi last week and sought more information about the clubs and their investments. Sources said the CBI is investigating claims that Singapore-based match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal, first jailed for match-fixing in Singapore in 1995 and convicted in Finland and Hungary, has invested in Indian clubs through Living 3D Holdings Ltd. The international match-fixer is notorious for having rigged games at all levels, including the Olympics, World Cup qualifiers, women’s World Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup and African Cup of Nations.

“The AIFF has zero tolerance towards match-fixing and we have written to the clubs asking them to cooperate with the investigation,” AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran told TOI on Saturday. “There are concerns about investments made by shell companies linked to the fixer. We will do whatever is needed to ensure that Indian football has no links with anyone remotely connected with match-fixing.” The CBI has also written individually to the clubs, asking them to provide details of all contracts, sponsorships, besides the agencies involved in signing of foreign players and technical staff. Five clubs are being investigated and the list curiously includes Indian Arrows, the developmental side of the AIFF which played in the I-League but was disbanded this season by the new executive committee, led by former India goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey. The five clubs