In a shocking turn of events, M Selvakumar, the owner of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) team Salem Spartans, has accused former cricketer Robin Bist and three others of duping him of Rs 6.10 crore. Selvakumar filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the CCB-1 police station in Chennai last year, naming Bist, Akash Sumra (another cricketer), and two others – Satish Kumar and Nitin Khokhar – as accused.
Lucrative investment gone wrong
According to the FIR, Bist and Sumra introduced Selvakumar to Satish and Nitin in January 2023. The duo allegedly convinced Selvakumar that they owned shares in a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) team and offered him a 25% stake in return for an investment of Rs 22 crore. Selvakumar claims they presented documents and financial projections to make the offer seem genuine.
Bist, a former India A player with over 100 first-class matches who has also played for Delhi Daredevils in Indian Premier League (IPL), was surprisingly re-bought by the Salem Spartans this year despite the ongoing case.
Selvakumar, however, clarified that he will be requesting the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) to release Bist from the team as per the New Indian Express.
FIR details alleged conspiracy
The FIR details how Selvakumar, convinced by the presentations and assurances from all four accused, made an initial cash payment of Rs 10 lakh followed by multiple RTGS transfers to accounts allegedly belonging to the accused and their associates.
The FIR also mentions a Dubai-based cricket agent named Sam, who was introduced as an investment advisor to facilitate the transaction.
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Accusations and denials
Selvakumar alleges that after realizing he had been duped, he demanded his money back but faced threats from one of the accused. Left with no option, he approached the police. When contacted, Bist expressed shock at being named in the FIR and claimed he only introduced Selvakumar to the other accused and cooperated with the police investigation.
TNPL owner fraud case underway
The matter is currently under trial in the lower court, with a couple of arrests reported. This incident casts a shadow on the TNPL franchise and raises questions about the involvement of a former cricketer in the alleged fraud.
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