Exposed: Did Vindu pump in Big Bollywood stars money for betting?

Bollywood makes its dramatic entry into the cricket-underworld-bookie nexus with the arrest of Vindu Dara Singh, as cops probe his close ties with film personalities

Season 6 of Indian Premier League is in its climactic stages. But it's safe to say that the on-field action has few takers now, as every day new exposes in the spot-fixing scandal make headlines.

With the arrest of actor Vindu Dara Singh, the scrutiny of investigators is likely to focus more prominently on Bollywood. Property Cell of Mumbai Crime Branch apprehended the Bigg Boss season 3 winner yesterday after he was found to be in touch with some bookies.

His call details, retrieved by cops, reveal that the actor knew a lot of cricketers, bookmakers and Bollywood personalities.

`We are investigating to determine whether he has played any role in the spot-fixing controversy. Also, we have a few leads on Vindu's meetings with a superstar and an actor-turned-producer in a five-star hotel, where he was allegedly used as a mediator to place bets on IPL matches,` said a Crime Branch officer requesting anonymity.

The inquest has also revealed that Vindu had 'invested' Rs 20 lakh from his own pockets. There is no account of how much cash other film personalities had supplied for betting and fixing. We have just got his custody and the probe is on,` the officer added. 


Along with Vindu, Crime Branch arrested Alpesh Kumar Bhagwandas Patel alias P Alpesh (39), a resident of Phopalwadi, Bhuleshwar, and Prem Ramchandra Taneja (39), an inhabitant of Karol Bagh, Delhi.

Police said Patel is the hawala operator who used to facilitate transactions of the bookies, and when they raided his premises they found Rs 1,28,74,500 in cash from his Bhuleshwar office. `Cash for betting was moved around by Patel who charged 0.28 to 0.50 per cent as commission for aiding dealings inside and outside India,` said a source from the Mumbai Crime Branch. 

The other accused, Prem Ramchandra Taneja, is a garment manufacturer and also a dealer of automobile spare parts. Sources say Taneja is a well-known figure in Bollywood and has generated controversies in the past.


Following the two arrests, police called Vindu for questioning and he was taken into custody thereafter. Call records show that Vindu was communicating with bookies Pawan Jaipur, Sanjay Jaipur and Jupiter, who are all wanted by Mumbai Crime Branch. He was also in touch with bookie Ramesh Vyas, who has been arrested.

Pacer S Sreesanth's photo was found on Jupiter's laptop. It is suspected that Vindu was also corresponding with the suspended Rajasthan Royals bowler. Sources say some A-list actors, who had invested money with Vindu, will be questioned by Crime Branch in the coming days. Vindu - who has been booked for cheating and forgery - Patel and Taneja will be in police custody till May 24.


When asked whether police would investigate Bollywood's connection to betting in cricket, DCP Satyanarayan Chaudhary, official spokesperson for Mumbai police, said, `We are investigating all possible links into the matter.`

Remember this man?

Vindu made his acting debut in the Hindi film Karan (1994). Following this, he acted in the Punjabi language film, Rab Dian Rakhan (1996), which was directed by his father - wrestler-actor Dara Singh. Since then he has acted in many films, mostly in supporting roles, including Joker, Housefull2 and Son of Sardar.


He has also acted in TV serials, portraying Lord Hanuman in Jai Shri Hanuman, much like his father did in Ramayan. He won Bigg Boss season 3 on December 26, 2009. 

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Vindoo Reveals Family Secrets, and his Father's Dying Wish

It’s a tough time for the late Dara Singh’s wife Surjeet Kaur, Dara Singh’s brother Sardara Singh Randhawa, Randhawa’s wife Malka and the children. 

Dara Singh’s son candidly admits he has a half-brother whose wellbeing is now Vindoo’s responsibility after Dara Singh’s demise. 

Says Vindoo, “We are 5 siblings, …actually 6. My father has a son from another marriage. His first marriage happened when he was barely 14. My half-brother has always been a part of the family. In fact he was there for all the rituals after my father’s death.

In deference to my father’s wish my half-brother has always been a part the family. He will remain so. In fact more so now with my father gone.

As my father’s eldest born it’s my duty to make his responsibilities are fulfilled. In fact we in this fanily are very high on responsibilities. To this day I look after my ex-wife Farha Naaz and son Fateh although we separted long back and she took away my son Fateh. ”

Will the family patriarch’s death also bring Vindoo’s son Fateh back to him? 

Growing somewhat pensive hours after his father’s cremation Vindoo says, “I don’t think so. Fateh will remain with his mother. Farha is a fantastic mother to Fateh. She left with him and we’ve never looked back after that, though I continue to look after them. ” 
Says Vindoo, “In our family we respect and acknowledge all religion and my father encouraged every kind of culture and lifestyle in our family. My brother is married to a Gujarati. My sister is married to an American. I married a Muslim and now I’m married to a Christian.

Religious intolerance was intolerable to me. That was the main bone of contention between us. When Farha decided to leave with our son I didn’t try to stop her. I didn’t even try to meet him after they left although I missed him so much. 

Farha had to call and ask me, ‘Don’t you want to see your son. Today we’re friends. Farha, Tabu and Aunty (their mom) were here for Dad’s funeral. ”

Mention of the funeral makes Vindoo sentimental. “Not since Mohd Rafi Saab’s funeral had so many people turned up to wish anyone from Bollywood adieu. 

My father was a genuinely good humanbeing. He is the only person besides Pran Saab—and he comes second—about whom no one has anything bad to say. That’s why we aren’t mourning his going away. We’re all sitting and smiling and even laughing remembering what a wonderful humanbeing Dad was. 

On Thursday after the funeral Anil Kapoor dropped in at home. Somoene suggested we should stop the jovial mood. Wohkya sochega? But I said, ‘Let’s feel the way we feel and behave the way we feel’. My father went after living a full life. 

For the last four days when he hovered between this world and that, the kind of response I got just blew my mind. In the last four days there have been 2 lakh tweets and after his death I have to respond to over a 1, 000 sms as soon as I get breathing space. ”
Vindoo says there is absolutely no hang-ups about being a giant’s son. “Not at all. I am proud to be Dara Singh’s son. He was very proud of me, specially after I won on Bigg Boss and started getting good work and making good money. 

He always encouraged his children to do what we wanted, never stopped us from doing anything. We were all allowed to fail once in our class exams. Because we had the freedom to fail we never did. 

He encouraged me to have my drinks at home, rather than go out and drink in public places. In fact on the night before he passed away we shared a drink together…. My Dad wasn’t scared of dying. He was scared my mother would go before him. ‘Mujhe chhod ke mat jaana, ’ he told her some months ago. Now he’s gone leaving her behind. We need to look after her even more now. ”
Vindoo reveals he never moved out of the Dara Singh residence because all his siblings did. “They all got married and moved away. How could I leave my parents alone? If in their autumnal years they had to live alone what was the point of having so many children? I made a pledge to myself I’d stay with my parents, and I did. ”

Now there’s a yearning to carry the father’s legacy forward. Vindoo is planning to put together his father’s amazing story in a documentary film.

“It’s important to let future generations know what my father was all about. He always said, ‘I’ve made enough money for all you children to live comfortably forever. If you can't build on my legacy don’t diminish it either. ’ I’d like to carry his name forward. Dara Singh is a metaphor for strength and power. I’d like to think I can shoulder that legacy. ”

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