The Ombudsman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India has issued an official order in a corruption investigation to the Ranji Trophy.
It was confirmed by the board that Raja Reddy, a video analyst of the board, was suspended because he breached the anti-corruption code after reviewing the evidence in the case.
The action came after it was found that Raja Reddy made a corrupt approach to a player before an important domestic match. The case raised concerns about match fixing in Indian domestic cricket.
Corruption approach before Ranji Trophy Quarter Final
The official order states that Raja Reddy approached Andhra Pradesh all-rounder Girinath Reddy of the Andhra Pradesh with "corruption" intent.
The approach reportedly took place before the Ranji Trophy quarter-final match between Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The match was played from February 23 to 26, 2024 at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.
A corrupt approach in a cricket match means an attempt to get a player to change the results of the match or shift the game results. It also includes both offering money and discussing betting activities.
Player reports the incident immediately
However, Girinath Reddy did not ignore the matter either. He promptly informed team manager Jugal Kishore about the incident.
The report led to an immediate transfer of the matter to BCCI's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit. Afterward, a thorough investigation of the situation was conducted.
The player reported the incident right away which allowed the authorities to start their investigation without any delays.
Evidence examined during investigation
The officials during the investigation collected testimonies from all the participants of the case. This included collecting testimonies from Girinath Reddy team manager Jugal Kishore and Raja Reddy.
The investigators used Raja Reddy's phone, email account and WhatsApp messages in collecting evidence for their case.
Raja Reddy deleted his WhatsApp chat with the player, but Girinath Reddy provided screenshots and saved chat records of the messages, which served as evidence in the investigation.
Raja Reddy confirmed the authenticity of the chats shown during the investigation when he was asked about them during the investigation.
The Ombudsman found Raja Reddy guilty of violating the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code after reviewing the entire report. Raja Reddy was suspended from all BCCI-related activities.
Corruption concerns also seen in international cricket
International cricket has faced corruption problems which extend beyond the domestic case.
West Indies cricketer Javon Searles, Titans team owner Chitranjan Rathod and team official Trevon Griffith were charged with multiple corruption offences for their involvement in the Bim10 tournament during the 2023-24 season. Cricket West Indies and the International Cricket Council filed the charges against them.
The investigation will require all three to halt their cricket matches due to the seriousness of the case until the investigators reach a conclusion. The United States cricketer, Aaron Jones, was charged with five anti-corruption charges during the last phase of the case.
The accused will have 14 days from March 11, 2026, to respond to the charges. The disciplinary committee will look into the evidence and then take further action.
The people involved may face a long ban from playing cricket if the charges are found to be true.