Are the RWITC Stewards right, legally and morally, to act as jurors?

By Usman Rangila

March  31, 2004

More than a week has passed since the Gold Star versus winner Secret Warrior incident but the controversy about the alleged partisan role played by the RWITC Stewards refuses to die down. Questions are now being raised whether it was legally or morally right for the RWITC Stewards of the Club act as a jury when any decision taken by them would’ve had financial ramifications for the club. Whether the RWITC Stewards were aware of this fact before they entered the room remains unclear. This, incidentally, was the first objection dealt with by the RWITC after they started accepting fixed odds betting. 

Information gleaned from the RWITC secretary reveals that an amount of Rs. 35,000 was bet on Secret Warrior and the club faced a loss of Rs.2000 if the objection had been overruled. However, it was officially reported that the club made a profit of Rs. 20,000 after the objection was upheld.

Mr Behram Engineer, secretary of the RWITC, replied in the negative to a query whether it was right, both legally and morally, for the RWITC Stewards to have sat on this decision. “There is nothing new in a turf club accepting bets apart from the tote-betting. There are turf clubs like in South Africa where fixed odds betting is accepted and the Stewards there also sit on such judgements. So, I don’t think that the RWITC Stewards are either legally or morally wrong to sit on a decision where the club would’ve made a profit or otherwise”, averred Mr Engineer.

It may be recalled that the RWITC has ventured into the business of bookmaking in the first week of March when they started accepting fixed odd betting on the totes. During a press conference held by the club to announce this new venture, the chairman chose not to disclose a very vital fact that an official bookmaker is a partner in this enterprise. The media was informed that the club has developed a software which automatically changes the odds after accepting a certain amount of money. On the contrary, it has been discovered that the bookmaker in question gives the opening odds and the subsequent changes are monitored by his son who is stationed in the office of the general manger of the RWITC totes. 

Several bookies are unhappy with this undue favour shown to one of their colleagues but some are more circumspect and feel that this will help their cause in the long run. “Once the RWITC steps into this business of bookmaking, there is a strong possibility that there will be few non-jobbers. If more number of favourite horses win, more will be the losses for the RWITC. I have a feeling that sooner or later the club authorities will ensure that there are more triers in a race”, opined one bookie on the condition of anonymity.

Furthermore, the recent events at the RWITC have sparked off a debate among the racing community not only across the country but even among the followers of this sport who reside abroad. The public relations department of the RWITC, which has a ghostly presence, may not have found it fit to ascertain the amount of displeasure evoked by the Gold Star incident but indiarace.com, a website devoted singularly to Indian horseracing, has been flooded with responses ever since the incident happened.

Demands like the Stewards of the Club should not be breeders or stud-farm owners and that there should be an even number of independent jurors on the body have started surfacing. A section of livid racegoers are even seeking the resignation of Mr Shyam Ruia and Mr Khushroo Dhunjibhoy on moral grounds. Considering the kind of uproar this episode has generated it will be interesting to see what steps does the RWITC administration initiates to restore the confidence of the racing fraternity. Meanwhile, it is business as usual at Mahalaxmi.