Trust Betrayal by Sreesanth
Ever since Delhi police exposed the IPL betting on spot fixing by the now three discredited players of Rajasthan Royals ,it seems the electronic media has no other news to broadcast. The whole country seems to have suddenly stopped making any other news. Rapes seem to have stopped, politicians seem to have stopped enriching themselves and even the opposition parties seem to have no agenda to throw at the ruling party.
The trio of Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan have successfully even bowled out the Chinese Premier's visit by relegating it to lower rungs in the news priorities. Modi also is no longer the flavour of the day. The only party happy at the turn of events is perhaps the Congress party. Attention from its scams is taken off by the IPL scam. The electronic media is only faithful to its TRP for that is from where it is going to get its moolah. The higher the TRP the higher the advertisement rates it can get. The new mantra is report not that is news but make news that will increase TRP of the channel.
The Delhi police which has been onthe receiving end in the last few months has suddenly become pro active and is seen communicating liberally with the Press. Its top brass is also investigating personally the trio, it is reported. The Mumbai police is trying to give competition to Delhi police. They too hold press conferences to announce such earth shaking disclosures as the seizing of Sreesanth's laptop from his hotel room in Mumbai.
What have the trio done that has given opportunity to news channels and the police to make so much noise. After all they have not embezzled any public funds. They have tried to make money by agreeing to carry out a prefixed agreement during a particular over. The whole betting activity in the country is illegal and thus their act also becomes illegal. It is a private affair between private parties. The BCCI and IPL authorities have to take action in the matter. That they have failed to stop this type of activity is not going against them but the involved players are being targeted. That the Indian state has not been able to neutralize the kingpins operating with impunity from foreign countries is not being held against it but the players who are lured and blackmailed it is held against them.
When the conviction rates in India are generally less than 33% the chances of the trio going scot free are thus very high. The Courts Will want proof and what the police says does not constitute proof. The judicial process in India moves at snails pace and even god will not be able to predict when the charge sheets will be filed and how many years will pass before the trial comes to an end. However the police have made a "killing" and by the resultant publicity have managed to remove attention from their failures especially in Delhi. The TV channels have milked the issue for more than a week now and are waiting for some other issue to increase their TRP's. The public also wants a new issue as it these days gets bored very easily.
The large number of bookies arrested will be released on bail and will restart their activities. Going to jail is a job hazard which they face once in a while. They do not lose face as everyone who knows them understands these pinpricks they have to face from time to time from law enforcing agencies. After all the bettors are drawn from all classes of society especially the rich and influential and thus respected class. Has it ever occurred to us that why no bettor is ever caught.
Till yesterday the antics of Sreesanth were lapped up and his dancing with women was hailed and praised. Today they are all being condemned. The media never had it so good since quite sometime and they will not let it go so easiliy. However Sreesanth and the others will have to live with this taint throughout their lives. After all even if they tried to make a slice of private money they betrayed the trust of milions of cricket lovers who cheered thinking the players were playing to the best of their capabilities. For this act they will always be cursed by the fans even if they go scot free from the courts. In the people's court they are guilty.
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