Mohammed Shami allegedly attacked outside house, three men arrested

What’s the story?

Team India pacer Mohammed Shami was allegedly attacked by goons outside his house in Kolkata. The three men, who were reportedly inebriated when they got involved in a scuffle with Shami, have been arrested and will be soon produced in court.

"They [the men] have been booked under IPC sections 506 [criminal intimidation] and 341 [wrongful restraint]," an officer of Jadavpur police station was reported as saying.

In case you didn’t know…

Born in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, Shami, who has played 22 Tests, 49 ODIs and 7 T20Is for India, was sent to Kolkata by his coach in 2005 after he failed to make the cut to the UP U-19 team. Having honed his skills in Kolkata’s Mohun Bagan Club as he grew up, the now established India pacer resides in Katju Nagar, close to Jadavpur University.

The heart of the matter

While it is unclear as to what the exact turn of events was, one local report suggests that Shami’s driver was speeding his vehicle on their way back, when they almost collided with a motorcycle, parked close to the cricketer’s apartment. It is said that the resulting argument between the driver and the men was only quelled when Shami got out of the car and intervened.

Matters turned worse when the men gathered their friends and intruded Shami’s residence, assaulting the gatekeeper in the process in order to extract revenge. Shami’s wife was forced to file an FIR.

Another report says that the cricketer’s car was parked outside his apartment gate when a trio of drunk men came in a motorcycle and accosted the Indian pacer. They returned 15 minutes later, barging into the building, but had to back away once the cops were summoned.

The entire sequence was captured by CCTV cameras installed inside the apartment.

What’s next?

The three arrested men, identified as Swarup Sarkar, Jayanta Sarkar and Shiva Pramanik will be presented before the Alipore Court on Tuesday. Shami, on the other hand, will soon travel with the Indian team on their tour to Sri Lanka.

Author’s take

It is appalling to see someone of Shami’s repute to be exposed to attacks on the streets, especially during times when international cricketers are provided top security, even on the go. This isn’t the first time Shami has been in the eye of the storm: he had been troubled by social media haters last year. This time, however, things could have been a lot worse, as the India pacer was exposed to a possible physical harm which could have had grevious repurcussions.