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Mukesh Gupta surfaces in CBI headquarters

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

In a dramatic development, the elusive Mukesh Gupta turned up at the Central Bureau of Investigation's headquarters in New Delhi.

Disgraced South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje had claimed to have been introduced to Gupta aka MK by former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin, and admitted to having received $80,000 from him to fix matches.

Gupta was grilled for three-and-a-half hours by the CBI sleuths and he admitted to his interest in cricket as well as to knowing Cronje and Azharuddin.

The CBI has been trying to locate Gupta ever since Cronje named him during his deposition before the Edwin King Commission probing match-fixing allegations in South Africa. Until then, no one had even heard of him.

The investigating agency conducted several raids in Bombay, Delhi, Lucknow and Kanpur in a bid to put pressure on Gupta, besides maintaining a constant vigil on his jewellery showroom in south Delhi and his residence in Defence Colony. The agency was certain he had not fled the country, but was hiding somewhere in India.

Gupta came to the CBI office alone, without his advocate, at about 1600 IST. Apparently, he had contacted someone in the agency in the afternoon and conveyed his decision to appear before the agency.

Later, he was allowed to leave. The sleuths said they might call him again for further questioning.

Azhar has denied even knowing Gupta.

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