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Chawla

missing

LONDON: Sanjeev Chawla, the man most wanted in the world of cricket, has apparently gone into hiding. Chawla has gone missing from his garments store on Oxford Street and is not at home in north London either.

Chawla is said to have vanished the very day Delhi Police charged South African captain Hansie Cronje with match-fixing by striking a deal with the London-based "bookie".

The news flash was first seen by Chawla's relatives on the Internet. They contacted him immediately, and he is untraceable since. Police here has not made any move to seek him yet, but such a move is certain to come over the next day or two, officials said. Delhi Police has said it will seek the help of Interpol in tracing the named suspects.

Indian police represented at the Indian High Commission here is likely to press for Chawla to be sent back to India to face an investigation. Chawla, who came to Britain seven years ago, is still an Indian citizen.

Rajeev Khurana, the company secretary of Chawla's import-export clothing business, was quoted by "The Sunday Times" as Saying: "He is aware of the allegations, but he claims he is 100 percent innocent and is very upset. He has not heard anything from the Indian police, but he has spoken to his family who saw the story on the Internet."

"I saw him on Friday afternoon, but I don't know anything about this," Khurana said. "I'm not really aware about his personal affairs. I don't think he has that kind of money Ñ he drives around in a broken-up BMW."

Chawla's Indian citizenship means that the Indian government will not have to make the usual extradition moves against him. If Chawla resists return to India through appeals to British courts, there is little the courts can do to keep him in this country, officials said.

This is not like the case of alleged underworld operative Iqbal Mirchi or music composer Nadeem where the fugitive can try to stall the process of extradition through the courts, an Indian official said.

A senior police officer represents the Indian police at the High Commission. Officials are saying that if Chawla is innocent "the natural thing would be for him to contact us or the police in India directly to clear his name."ÑPPI