Fake IPL trial kingpin's 'career' from coaching kids to fleecing them

It was a bouncer on his right eye during his under-19 days that cut short the cricketing career of Aditya Bhandari, 34, the alleged kingpin of the fake IPL trial camp that mid-day busted and reported about on October 26. Through an academy in Amritsar, Bhandari had stayed connected to the game. And sensing the lure of the IPL in youngsters, he then concocted his plan - allegedly making false promises to young cricketers of getting them a place in Kings XI Punjab team.

Aditya Bhandari, the alleged kingpin of the fake IPL trial

Two teams of the Mumbai Police successfully nabbed Bhandari from one of his two homes in Amritsar, where he was hiding, on the eve of his 34th birthday, and brought him to the Marine Drive police station on Wednesday. He was produced in a local court, which sent him to police custody till November 6.

Also Read: Fake IPL 'Kings XI Punjab' trial kingpin arrested from Amritsar

Bhandari had prepared the fake documents and logos bearing Kings XI Punjab's name to spread them on social media. He was booked under IPC sections 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471(using forged document as genuine), 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention).

The end
His interrogation revealed how his cricketing career came to an end. "He was a very good cricketer - an all-rounder, right-handed batsman and off-break bowler. He was in the Punjab Under-19 team in 2003-04. But during a match, he was hit by a bouncer over his right eye, which damaged his vision. After that, his performance dipped and he was removed from the squad," said an officer.

"That came as a huge shock to him as he knew nothing other than cricket. So, he started training kids around his residence. Later, he launched Arnav Cricket Academy, named after his son, on a plot given to him by St Sai Secondary School in Indira Nagar, Amritsar, after he promised to train their students at 50 percent discount."

Also Read: Mid-Day Exposes Fake IPL Talent Scouts Fleecing Budding Cricketers In Mumbai

A taste of money
For the Kings Cup held in 2015, Bhandari's Arnav Cricket Academy was given the charge of conducting trials in Punjab by the company that Kings XI Punjab had hired for the pan-India trials. There wasn't another edition of this tournament the next year (2016), but remembering the money earned the previous year, Bhandari decided to hold trials for a fake Kings Cup in 2017, an officer said, adding that this was without any valid permission or authority from the IPL franchise. "He replicated the Kings Cup model to arrange camps all over the country, telling his men to collect the money."

Tracing the kingpin
After arresting Harvinder Singh, Ravindra Gupta and Satendra Singh at Oval Maidan on October 25, the police had launched a hunt for Bhandari. "We went to Amritsar and tried to gather information from the school where he was coaching students. One student gave us some information, after which we went to Chandigarh. Meanwhile, our other team was working on information from informers and technical data," said an officer from Marine Drive police station. "From Chandigarh, another student told us that he was in Amritsar. We went there and nabbed him."