Amitesh Kumar had taped conversation between West Indian player Marlon Samuels and a bookie of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim during the ODI against India on January 31, 2007
Nagpur: The newly appointed Nagpur Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar is known to have created sensation in the cricketing world when he had exposed match-fixing link by taping telephonic conversation between West Indian player Marlon Samuels and a bookie of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim during the ODI against India on January 31, 2007. The taped conversation had revealed that Marlon Samuels had allegedly given out information on batting line-up for the one-dayer. At that time, Amitesh Kumar was working as Deputy Commissioner of Police in Nagpur. Kumar had served in Nagpur as DCP from 2005 to 2007.
At the time of the dubious incident, Shivpratapsingh Yadav was Commissioner of Police in Nagpur. The One-Day International between India and West Indies was being played in the city in January, 2007. The West Indies team was staying in Hotel Pride. The DCP Amitesh Kumar smelt something fishy when he noticed a call was coming frequently for Marlon Samuels on the landline phone of Hotel Pride. Alerted by the development, Kumar kept a watch on the all-rounder Samuels.
The alertness on the part of the then DCP Amitesh Kumar had revealed a sensational fact that rattled the cricket fans worldover. The DCP came to know that Marlon Samuels was in touch with an alleged bookie named Mukesh Kochar who was considered to be ‘righthand’ man of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. The bookie was contacting Samuels frequently from Dubai for match-fixing. Alarmed over the development, the DCP Kumar taped the conversation between Samuels and the bookie Mukesh Kochar and jolted the cricketing world. Subsequently, a team of Anti-Corruption and Security Unit of International Cricket Council (ICC) had also arrived in the city to probe the match-fixing allegations. The ICC team had also met Dr Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay who was at that time Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime). The ICC, based on probe by Nagpur police, had banned Marlon Samuels for two years.
The then DCP Amitesh Kumar and Commissioner of Police Shivpratapsingh Yadav were praised for the sensational expose. Meahwhile, Amitesh Kumar was transferred to other city on new posting. Now, after 13 years, he is returning to Nagpur as Commissioner of Police.
Interacting with a local Marathi daily ‘Lokmat,’ Amitesh Kumar, a degree holder in Economics from Delhi’s St Stephen’s College and also post-graduate in law and cyber law, stated that he will be keeping focus on cyber crimes in Nagpur. “Situation in Nagpur 13 years ago was different. Now, the crime scenario has changed. Hence I will first study the crime situation here and then decide the strategy. Maintaining good relations between Nagpur police and citizens, I will seek full cooperation from all concerned. I will assume the post on Friday,” he said.
