Indian minister says fixing may hit other sports

NEW DELHI (AP) — India's sports minister is formulating a law to deal with manipulating matches to ensure it doesn't spread to other sports after test cricketer Shantakumaran Sreesanth and two other players were arrested for spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League.

"It's necessary that there is a law or a deterrent," Jitendra Singh said Thursday. "There's no guarantee that this is not happening in other sports, or will not happen in other sports. Who knows, it might have started in other sports as well?"

Charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust have been brought against Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan for conceding a fixed minimum number of runs per over in exchange for up to 6 million rupees ($110,000) from bookmakers for every over.

However, there is no specific law in India that encompasses fixing as betting itself is illegal in the country except on horse racing.

"We're in touch with the home ministry and the law ministry to work out the law," Jitendra said. "We'll consult the Attorney-General (of India) before moving forward."

Law minister Kapil Sibal raised the idea of the law following the arrest of the three players last week by Delhi Police, who say they have recorded phone conversations with bookmakers and recovered two million rupees ($36,500) from a kit bag belonging to Chandila.

Bookmakers and their associates have been arrested across the country in the past week, including domestic-level cricketers and Bollywood actor Vindoo Randhawa.

This is not the first instance of spot-fixing in India.

Last year, little-known allrounder T.P. Sudhindra was banned for life after being caught in a sting by Indian TV agreeing to bowl a no-ball at a predetermined time in a local Twenty 20 game in the central Indian city of Indore.