Thakur proposes 10-year jail term for match-fixers

New Delhi, May 1

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, who is also a Lok Sabha MP, has introduced the ‘National Sports Ethics Commission’ bill which recommends a 10-year jail term for sportspersons found indulging in match-fixing.

It is a significant step considering the BCCI has been rocked by quite a few match-fixing scandals, the latest being the one that surfaced in the 2013 IPL. The scandal led to the arrest of three cricketers, including former India pacer S Sreesanth.

“As such there is no law to curb match-fixing. It is absolutely mandatory to have a law that can combat the menace,” said Thakur.

The bill seeks “to establish a national sports ethics body to ensure ethical practices in sports, as well as measures towards the elimination of doping practices, match-fixing, age fraud, gender and sexual harassment in sports.”

The draft bill further states: “This comes as an aftermath of the recent corruption and match-fixing charges in Indian cricket and other sports. The players are currently charged under the inappropriate sections of Dishonesty and Cheating under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act. But the sportspersons often get away because these laws don’t apply to sports.”

The bill, if passed, will impose a life ban on the offender, apart from a 10-year jail term. Besides, the bill advocates a fine of five times the bribe amount in the cases of match-fixing.

For frauds concerning age and gender, a jail time of six months and a fine of Rs 1 lakh are recommended. Besides the players, the penalties will be applicable to the coaches and members of the sports federations found involved in such frauds.

In another bill Thakur moved, he sought an amendment in the Indian Constitution to put sport on the Concurrent List for a more co-ordinated and focused approach towards sporting activities. — PTI