Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Ranji cricketers had to endure a torrid time on Tuesday when they were woken up in the middle of night and questioned for hours by the police, which was looking for a suspected militant.
The incident happened hours before the cricketers were to play against Hyderabad on the final day of their Ranji Trophy Group C match, which ended in a draw later.
Team all-rounder Samiullah Beigh narrated the incident on his Facebook page.
"Cudnt sleep whole night....police came to search our hotel at midnight and questioned us for hours at 1:15am in the night," Beigh wrote.
"We dnt lock our doors as only our Ranji trophy team stays in that hotel. we r still feeling d shock n horror of finding uniformed people with guns surrounding us when v wre fast asleep," his comment read further.
Rajesh Kumar, the Inspector General of Jammu Police, said acting on a tp off, they searched all Jammu hotels and the Ranji team was not targetted "specifically".
"We searched most of the hotels in Jammu...a routine check-up. We did not have the prior information that the Ranji team is staying in the hotel. Police was not aware of the fact that they are the members of the Ranji team. So it is possible they must have been questioned," Kumar sais.
A furiuos Beigh said even if it was a routine check up, the treatment meted out to them was not appropriate.
"whether deliberate harassment or routine check up, surely this isnt d way to treat bunch of guys with national and international repute, especially when u r playing the most important match of the jk cricket history," he wrote.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has denounced the police action.
"As Police say, it may be routine check up, I won't say anything about that but conducting a routine check up in the middle of the night is going to harass anybody. If they had any routine check up, they should have come early but coming late in the night would obviously harass (players)," JKCA treasurer Manzoor Wazir said.
"Our players were already under stress as a crucial match was on. We have officially closed the matter because we want our boys to focus on next match," Wazir told NDTV.
Wazir said the police should have know about the fact that the state Ranji players were staying in that hotel.
"They have their own ways of saying things but let me tell you clearly, we are playing in our own state and police should have input about each one of us. They should have known that the team is stationed in the hotel," Wazir said.
IGP Rajesh Kumar told reporters that there was "no case of humilation and harrasment" of any of the players.
"Searches were conducted in the hotel as per rules. Searches were carried out in most parts of the city. All the hotel and public places were searched," he said.
"There is no case of humilation and harrasment to any one the players," he said, adding that the Ranji team was not targetted "specifically".
Asked about the allegation that the players were grilled by the Police for over one and a half hours and their identity cards checked, Kumar said, "They (police personnel) verified their (players') antecedents. They checked their cards and and found PK and immediately after that they departed from the hotel."
Farooq expresses solidarity with JK Ranji squad
Farooq expresses solidarity with JK Ranji squad
New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association President Farooq Abdullah today expressed anguish and dismay over the reported midnight search by police in a Jammu hotel where the state Ranji squad was lodged and said that he has taken up the issue with people concerned.
Abdullah expressed solidarity with the players, currently in Jammu in connection with Ranji Trophy tournament, and said the incident has pained him immensely. "This should not have happened in the first instance," he said in a press release, expressing regret on the unfortunate incident.
The JKCA President said though he was informed that the search was routine in nature yet he believed this could have been avoided. He assured the cricketers that such an ugly situation will not arise again and asked them to focus in their game.
"Please concentrate on the game and ignore the unpleasant incident as an act of misunderstanding," he said in a message to the players, hoping they will give their best to the game and bring laurels to the state.
Jammu and Kashmir Ranji cricketers endured a torrid time on Tuesday when they were woken up in the middle of night and questioned for hours by the police, who were looking for a suspected militant. The incident happened hours before the cricketers were to play against Hyderabad on the final day of their Ranji Trophy Group C match, which ended in a draw later.
Team all-rounder Samiullah Beigh narrated the incident on his Facebook page. "Cudnt sleep whole night....police came to search our hotel at midnight and questioned us for hours at 1:15am in the night," Beigh wrote.
"We dnt lock our doors as only our Ranji trophy team stays in that hotel. we r still feeling d shock n horror of finding uniformed people with guns surrounding us when v wre fast asleep," he added.
Inspector General of Jammu Police, Rajesh Kumar said acting on a tip off, they searched all Jammu hotels and the Ranji team was not targetted "specifically".
