It seems it wasn't just money  up to Rs 60 lakh for bowling a crooked over  that was on offer to the Royals players. (IE Photo)

It seems it wasn't just money  up to Rs 60 lakh for bowling a crooked over  that was on offer to the Royals players. The transcripts of phone conversations taped by the police allegedly contain evidence to suggest that the arrested bookies also supplied at least two of the cricketers with women. Related: Sreesanth, Chandila, Chavan caught fixing, IPL in a spot

The conversations reveal that two bookies, Manan and Chand, "arranged" women for Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila on at least three occasions, top Delhi Police officers said. The conversations have many references to the times of despatch and arrival of the women, the officers said. Related: Asking rate: 60 lakh for 14 an over

A third player, also of the Rajasthan Royals, too accepted the services of escorts provided by the bookies, the transcripts reveal. But this player was apparently not involved in spot-fixing. Biju alias Jiju, the alleged go-between who has been described as a friend of Sreesanth's, too apparently availed of the escorts' services. One bookie was Rajasthan Royals pacer until last year

Both Sreesanth and Biju had women with them when they were picked up by the police in Mumbai's Khar area in the early hours of Thursday. The two men had allegedly visited the RG's nightclub, and were in separate cars.

Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, who made no reference to this part of their investigations in his press conference, confirmed to The Indian Express: "Yes, such facts of bookies also providing women to two of the arrested players do figure in the transcripts. But we are not pressing any charges on the women in question since they are not connected with spot-fixing."

Kumar's press conference also had references to the "kingpin" of the racket. Top Delhi Police sources said this suspect was called "Salmaan", and he was based in Dubai. The police got their first leads in the spot-fixing case after intercepting this individual's telephone conversations, the sources said.

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