BCCI Tells Supreme Court: Match-Fixing Should Be Treated as a Criminal Offence

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told the Supreme Court that match-fixing should be treated as a criminal offence, as it involves cheating the public and damaging the integrity of the game.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was informed of the BCCI’s stand by Advocate Shivam Singh, who is assisting the court as Amicus Curiae. Singh said that the BCCI has filed an intervention application in support of criminalising match-fixing.

According to the BCCI, match-fixing already meets the legal definition of “cheating” under Sections 415 and 417 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), now replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The act involves deception, fraudulent inducement, and intentional wrongdoing, all of which cause harm to others.

The application further argues that under Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), match-fixing can also be punished since fans spend money to buy match tickets and merchandise, and sponsors invest heavily in leagues and teams, all of which are impacted when matches are fixed.

The BCCI also reminded the court that the Law Commission of India, in its 276th Report (2018), had recommended making match-fixing and sports fraud criminal offences carrying strong punishments.

The issue came to light after the Karnataka Police filed a chargesheet under Section 420 IPC against former IPL players C.M. Gautam and Abrar Kazi for allegedly accepting ₹20 lakh from bookies to play slowly during the Karnataka Premier League 2019 final, which their team lost by eight runs.

However, the Karnataka High Court later quashed the proceedings, ruling that match-fixing did not constitute cheating under Section 420 IPC. The court observed that while such acts may show dishonesty and lack of discipline, they do not amount to a criminal offence under existing law. It added that disciplinary action by the BCCI was the appropriate course, not criminal prosecution.

The Karnataka government has since challenged the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court, where the matter is currently being heard.

The BCCI’s latest stance marks a strong call for treating match-fixing as a punishable crime, not just a breach of sports ethics, to protect the spirit of cricket and the faith of millions of fans.