Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa ordered CBI probe that exposed cricket's darkest scandal
Chandigarh: Although his longest tenure as Union minister was in the portfolio of chemicals and fertilisers, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who passed away on Thursday due to prolonged illness at the age of 89, had hogged national limelight as sports minister for ordering a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the 2000 match fixing scandal which laid bare the dark underbelly of cricket.
As Union sports minister Dhindsa ordered the CBI probe in May 2000 in which the central agency, in its report on "Cricket match fixing and related malpractices" indicted top Indian and international cricketers of that time. Following the CBI report and after a report of one-man commission headed by former CBI director K Madhavan formed by it, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had slapped a life ban on former Indian cricket team captain
Mohammad Azharuddin
and another player Ajay Sharma; and five-year ban on cricketers Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar.
The life bans on Azharuddin and Sharma were, however, overturned by the courts in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Responding to a question in an interview by an online magazine that he was not much known before the match fixing scandal, Dhindsa had said, "Of course, this is true. If the match-fixing scandal had not taken place, nobody would have known my name outside Punjab. I am thankful to God for this opportunity. Chance came my way and I decided to handle it to the best of my ability."
by Taboola
by Taboola
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As Union minister between 1999 and 2004, Dhindsa held different portfolios with additional charges as well at different points of time before he took over as Union minister of chemicals and fertilisers on Nov 7, 2000 and continued till May 22, 2004, at the time of dissolution of council of ministers led by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the NDA govt.
Dhindsa's stint as Union minister of youth affairs and sports was only nine months — from Feb 2, 2000, to Nov 7, 2000.
It was during this period that cricket match fixing scandal broke out, CBI probe ordered and report submitted.
In a press conference, Dhindsa had released the CBI report on match fixing and related malpractices on Nov 1, 2000, two days after the CBI submitted it on October 30, 2000.
Earlier, at the time of ordering the CBI probe, Dhindsa had fielded questions and described in details the circumstances and exercise leading to ordering the probe as he responded to a short notice question on the issue.
MP Shyama Singh had then questioned that " why did the govt take 20 days to respond as the "match-fixing scandal came to the notice of the govt on April 7, 2000, but the minister convened a meeting of the BCCI officials and others only on April 27, 2000". Dhindsa, in his reply, said, "…they should appreciate our action because had we taken any action in haste, allegation would have been levelled against the govt that it was against BCCI and that was why so quick action was taken and CBI inquiry was instituted in this matter.
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Deep ties with sports
Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa remained associated with sports in various capacities. The four-time MLA's association with sports dates back to 1977, when he was elected as MLA for the second time, inducted as minister and given sports portfolio. He was the life president of Punjab Olympic Association (POA), a position he was appointed on in June 2019 in the executive and annual general house meeting of the POA as it recognised his services as POA president for 41 long years till that time.
He also served as president of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) for 15 years before stepping down in 2011.
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