Chandila handed life ban, five-year suspension for Hiken Shah

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Monday (January 18), came down heavily on Ajit Chandila and Hiken Shah in connection with charges of corruption in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Chandila, the former Rajasthan Royals spinner, was handed a life ban while Hiken, the Mumbai cricketer, earned a five-year suspension.

"Ajit Chandila is banned for life from playing or representing cricket in any form or to be associated in any way with the activities of the Board or its Affiliates. Hiken Shah is banned for five years from playing or representing cricket in any form or to be associated in any way with the board," a BCCI release stated.

The three-member disciplinary committee of the BCCI, headed by President Shashank Manohar and also comprising Jyotiraditya Scindia and Niranjan Shah, pronounced the decision after studying written responses from the perpetrators to the charges against them, earlier in the month. The panel, however, deferred its pronouncement against umpire Asad Rauf, also accused in the matter, giving him time until February 9 to submit written statements, if any, and produce documents on which he wished to rely on.

"He (Rauf) did not appear in person [for hearing] but sent a reply stating that no fair enquiry has been conducted in his matter and hence a de novo enquiry be held by appointing another enquiry officer. Said request was rejected by Disciplinary Committee," the release said. The final order will be announced on February 12.

Chandila was arrested by the police for trying to spot-fix IPL games in 2013 along with Rajasthan Royals teammates S Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan, both of whom have been banned for life by the BCCI. The tainted trio were cleared by an Indian court in July 2015 but the BCCI bans on Sreesanth and Chavan were not reversed.

Shah, on the other hand, approached one of his colleagues from first-class cricket, who was also a member of one of the IPL teams in 2015. The approached player had reported the matter to his franchise, which passed on the information to the Anti Corruption Unit of the BCCI.