DNA
 
New Delhi, Mar 28: Kamal Kishore Chaddha, whose name figured in the recent Nagpur match-fixing controversy, is probably the most critical player in the cricket betting racket controlled by Dawood Ibrahim, sources in the security establishment say. The Jamaican police suspect the syndicate’s hand in Bob Woolmer’s murder.

Chaddha, who is believed to have strong links within the Indian establishment, was booked in a fake currency case in 2005 but got bail within a month and is now officially missing from India.

An intelligence source said Dawood is controlling most of the illegal cricket betting during the current World Cup. Some stray inputs suggest that at least a couple of Dawood aides visited the Caribbean during the tournament, though it isn’t clear if Chaddha was among them.

Intelligence agencies believe Chaddha holds the key to Dawood’s massive betting syndicate and is his most important link to cricketers, administrators, and others in the racket.

Chaddha was arrested in 2005 after an extensive investigation that found he had been trying to help Dawood to return to India. Chaddha apparently flaunted his contacts and promised to keep Dawood out of jail if he chose to return.

That was also the last time Indian intelligence had such 'conclusive evidence' on Dawood's plans. The "trail (leading to Dawood) was lost" immediately after Chaddha's arrest.

As of now, Chaddha roams free. There are no major international lookout notices against him, and authorities in Dubai are reluctant to pursue him in a criminal case there.