Match-Fixing Is Cheating Under Law, Says BCCI in Supreme Court
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has supported the move to treat match-fixing as a criminal offence under law.
Before a Supreme Court Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, Advocate Shivam Singh, appearing as amicus curiae, informed the court that BCCI has filed an intervention application in favour of criminalising match-fixing.
According to the application, match-fixing amounts to cheating under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), now replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The BCCI argued that fixing matches involves deception and dishonest inducement, meeting the legal definition of cheating under Sections 415 and 417 IPC.
It further submitted that Section 420, which deals with cheating involving delivery of property, is also applicable since spectators spend money to watch matches, and sponsors invest in leagues, teams, and merchandise. Therefore, financial harm caused by fixing should be punishable.
The BCCI also highlighted the 276th Report of the Law Commission of India (2018), which recommended criminalising match-fixing and sports fraud with strict penalties.
Background
The case traces back to a chargesheet filed by Karnataka Police against former cricketers CM Gautam and Abrar Kazi for alleged match-fixing during the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) 2019. It was alleged that they received ₹20 lakh from bookies to deliberately underperform in the final, resulting in their team’s defeat.
However, the Karnataka High Court later quashed the proceedings, ruling that match-fixing did not constitute cheating under Section 420 IPC. The court noted that while fixing may be unethical and dishonest, it doesn’t automatically meet the legal requirements for cheating, which involve inducing someone to deliver property or alter a valuable security.
The High Court observed that such misconduct could invite disciplinary action under BCCI’s rules but not criminal prosecution under Section 420 IPC.
The Karnataka government has now challenged this ruling before the Supreme Court, where the BCCI seeks to intervene.
Case Title: State of Karnataka and Anr. vs Abrar Kazi and Ors., SLP (Crl) No. 9408–9411/2022
