UP T20 league hit by match-fixing scare bookie caught over ₹1 crore bribe attempt

The UP T20 League has been shaken by a match-fixing scare just ahead of the final on September 6. Lucknow police registered an FIR after the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) flagged a suspicious approach made to one of the participating teams.

On August 31, Kashi Rudra team manager Arjun Chauhan received an Instagram message from a user with the ID ‘vipss_nakrani.’ After claiming he was a big bookie, the sender was offering ₹1 crore to fix matches, with an added personal commission of ₹50 lakh. Rather than take up the offer, Chauhan immediately notified the ACU.

The ACU moved quickly to keep the communication ongoing to trap the perpetrator. During the conversation, the perpetrator gave his WhatsApp number, promised immediate cash payments or US dollars, and even said he or someone from his crew would be at the ground to pay the players immediately following the matches. All chats and calls were recorded and presented to police as evidence.

Lucknow Police Register FIR Following ACU Complaint

DCP Nipun Agarwal confirmed that a case has been filed under multiple legal provisions, including cheating, illegal betting, and cybercrime. “We have registered a case against the unidentified suspect and his associates under BNS sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation), 112 (penalizing organized crime), 62 (attempting to commit offenses), section 3 of the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and Section 66D of the IT Act,” he said.

See Also: BCCI sets new base price for India's jersey sponsorship ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Officials noted that the suspect may not be working alone and could be linked to bookies who previously tried to target other teams during the tournament. The Cyber Crime Cell is now tracing his IP address and online contacts. With the UP T20 League ongoing since August 17 in Lucknow, the authorities have now placed the tournament under strict scrutiny to avoid a second incident.