Sports; Cricket, Banjo'sTunes

Hamid Cassim tells the King inquiry how Azhar gave him a special memento and Kapil became a close friend and business associate.

By Sharda Ugra

His name appeared out of nowhere as the man who established without any doubt that a cricketer called Hansie Cronje knew a man called Sanjeev Chawla. Ever since his name cropped up as the man both Cronje and Chawla were in touch with, life for Mohammed Hamid "Banjo" Cassim, 46-year-old Johannesburg sweetshop owner, has not been the same.

He made his first public appearance at the King Commission on June 22, the day the lawyers cross-questioned Cronje, a tall, burly man who didn't hang around during adjournments and looked distinctly uncomfortable when asked a question about the real name of Sanjeev Chawla. Cassim has been described variously as the "Biltong Man", "a regular hanger-on", "a facilitator" and "friend to the stars". The story of Cassim's life is that he is all these and, some suspect, a little bit more.

Ever since Hansiegate broke open and Cassim was identified to be the man who had spoken to both Cronje and Chawla during the tapped calls, Cassim's lawyer Itzie Blumberg has taken over, becoming for all intents and purposes Cassim's voice and mind. "He is terribly embarrassed by this business, he doesn't want to talk about it and he wants all of this to be over."

Cassim himself has not played any level of cricket but his links with the sport -- and the Indian and South African teams -- are now clear. Cassim's affidavit to the King Commission sought to establish these facts and his proximity to the cricketers, particularly the Indians, is an eye-opener.

Blumberg told INDIA TODAY that while Cassim knew several players, including Mohammed Azharuddin, it was Kapil Dev who was his hero. Cassim's chief introduction to the Indian team came through Ali Irani, who was introduced to him during the 1992 series in South Africa. Immediately, Cassim was invited to meet the Indian physiotherapist in his hotel room. In Irani's room, Cassim also met Kapil Dev -- and took him out to dinner.

Cassim testified, "We thereafter struck up a relationship and in fact became very good friends. He invited me to Bloemfontein to watch one of the cricket games and from that time onwards we kept in regular contact." Kapil gave Cassim one of his Test caps and Cassim liaised extensively with Kapil and his wife Romi over arranging benefit matches in India.

Cassim thus became a facilitator between Indian organisers and South African players over the organisation of a benefit match for Madan Lal and helped sign on Clive Rice, Fanie De Villiers, Meyryck Pringle, Errol Stuart, Mike Rindell, Derek Crookes, Hylton Ackerman, David Callaghan and Andrew Hudson. Cassim states that he received a signed shield from Azharuddin as appreciation for his work and a free ticket to India.

It became "common knowledge" among international players visiting South Africa, and Johannesburg in particular, "to contact me and I would attend games, visit them at their hotels, take them out on occasion for meals, and some of the international cricketers even ate at my house", says Cassim in his affidavit, dated June 6, 2000.

When Ajay Jadeja, Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar visited South Africa to consult doctors for medical problems, Cassim was the man contacted to make arrangements. He made sure the players were picked up at the airport and taken to the doctors.

Cassim testified that his friendship with Cronje began in 1993 and the famed conversation between Cronje and Cassim about the Centurion Park declaration -- the Test match earlier this year in which South Africa and England forfeited an innings -- took place in the presence of a woman Cassim calls "the famous Indian actress Rino Desai". During the conversation, Cassim asked Cronje why he hadn't told him about the declaration, "I could have made some money." Cronje apparently replied, "Why didn't you ask?"

According to Blumberg, Cassim was closer to the South African team than Cronje's description of "regular hanger-on" would imply. The day Cassim's name featured in the scandal, a couple of South African players reportedly called him to express their support. In Blumberg's cross-examination of Cronje, the lawyer informed the inquiry that Cassim had presented Andrew Hudson with a video player after the opener's house was burgled.

Cassim met Chawla following a phone call during the triangular series between England, South Africa and Zimbabwe in early 2000. Chawla said he had heard about Cassim's excellent relations with cricketers. According to Cassim, Chawla asked to be introduced to some of the South Africans and asked whether Cassim could meet him at the airport. The two men met at Jo'burg International, and Cassim describes Chawla as a "young Indian male approximately between 30 and 35 years of age, tall and thin".

While the men were eating at Sweet Junction, Cassim's shop in Fordsburg, Chawla presented himself as a cricket enthusiast who liked to gamble. Cassim states in his affidavit, "In the time that I spent with him as well as the telephone calls that I had from him, I gathered the distinct impression that he was more interested in gambling on cricket and he was most definitely not what is commonly termed a bookmaker."

Chawla then informed Cassim that he would be going to Durban and would like to be introduced to Cronje. Cassim agreed to follow Chawla to Durban after a few days. The meeting between the three took place at the Beverly Hills Hotel, after Cassim told Cronje that he had an Indian friend from London who wanted to meet him. The three met in Chawla's room and according to Cassim, Chawla and Cronje talked for 10 minutes about cricket and match forecasting, pitch conditions. The discussion then veered to team selection, the batting order and the bowling line-up.

"I then saw Sanjay take an envelope containing money and hand it to Mr Cronje. Shortly thereafter, Mr Cronje left the room and Hansie and Sanjay said they would talk again." Cassim then states that he left Durban that evening and went back to Johannesburg.

A few weeks later, Chawla phoned Cassim from Kochi, saying he was staying in the same hotel as the South African team. He then asked Cassim to help him get in touch with Cronje again as he (Chawla) could not contact Cronje on the cellular phone, which Cassim was apparently able to do. The resulting conversation was tapped by the Delhi Police.

Cassim's journey has been a long one. He lost his father at 16 and left school, doing various jobs to get by before joining his brother to run a snack shop. Married and a father of three, Cassim then worked alternately as a store manager and helped in his cousin's pharmaceutical business before opening an electronics shops in 1994 and then the famous Sweet Junction. In the summer of 2000 life suddenly got bitter.

AZHAR AT SECOND SLIP
Fresh transcripts say Azhar was mentioned in the Cronje tapes.

Even as disgraced South African captain Hansie Cronje continued to allege that it was indeed Mohammed Azharuddin who introduced him to bookie Mukesh Gupta, the former Indian captain was summoned by the CBI on June 22 and grilled for five hours. Azhar faced a barrage of questions on his alleged links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees, his association with cricketer Ajay Sharma, his dealings with 40-year-old bookie-jeweller Mukesh Gupta of Delhi and slain Mumbai diamond merchant Ashraf Patel.

Though Azhar denied all the charges levelled against him, there is enough evidence, the police say, in the infamous Hansie tapes to suggest that he was involved with bookies. Transcripts made available to INDIA TODAY indicate a wide network of bookies and cricketers, as is evident from the conversation between Cronje and London-based bookie Sanjeev Chawla on the eve of the fifth and final one-day international of the Indo-South African series at Nagpur on March 19. Excerpts:

Cronje: Okay we must find out that (Indian team composition) first because obviously if they (India) are going to play ... instead of Kumble and instead of Azhar, something like that, they ... they are going to be much weaker you know ... So you must find out what the team is before we can do anything ...

Chawla: Ya, they are in the same hotel, but you don't mention this to Azhar ... because Azhar is one big mouth you know ... he's going to make money out of nothing without his involvement.

Cronje: OK.

Chawla: I am sure he is going to get a hint and is going to tell his people to put money on India.

Hansie: Ok, don't worry.

Chawla: Should I phone you back in 15-20 minutes?

Cronje: That's perfect.

Chawla's calls from London to Cronje's roaming mobile (No. 98102-94943) were made through a cell site operating under the BPL network somewhere in Maharashtra. Five calls (collectively lasting over 19 minutes) were made by Chawla on March 18.

During the course of the conversation, Cronje asks Chawla whether he managed to speak to Amit (presumably another bookie). To which Chawla replies that he did and that he (Amit) was trying to find out the composition of the Indian team.

Chawla even expresses his apprehension that it may not be possible to find out the composition of the team. To which Cronje says, "No, you will be able to find out. I am sure you will be able to. Azhar must have an idea."

This is when Chawla also mentions that he was acquainted with players like Nikhil Chopra and Ajay Jadeja, but would not like to speak to them over the phone as he didn't know them that well.

About the only good news for Azhar seems to have come, ironically, from Cape Town. Cronje told the King Commission that while the Indian star introduced him to Gupta the Indian may not have known the jeweller was also part of a fixing syndicate.

Meanwhile a little flutter was created when reports appeared about Shahwar Mohammad Khan, son of CBI spokesman S.M. Khan, being included in the BCCI's under-19 camp in Delhi. Shahwar, who apparently has never represented Delhi in under-16 or under-19 tournaments, wasn't among the 19 players originally listed. It could be an ordinary coincidence but in an atmosphere replete with conspiracy theories the bush telegraph found only further ammunition.

-Sayantan Chakravarty

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	July 03, 2000