Mohammed Shami's father claims "cow slaughter" being used to target the family
Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami’s family is in “danger” according to his father Tauseef Ahmad, who believes ‘cow slaughter’ is being used to target them, reports Times of India.
This comes a day after Shami’s brother Mohammad Haseeb was booked and later released on bail, for allegedly assaulting a police officer and putting pressure on cops to release a few men arrested on charges of cow slaughter.
Speaking to TOI about the incident involving Haseeb, Ahmad said: “My son was not even present there at the time of the incident and had reached the site only much later. He (Haseeb) was just an onlooker like so many others who had gathered there. He was unnecessarily dragged into the controversy.
“It is just that a few persons are nurturing enmity with our family because of the publicity we have got after Shami started playing for team India. I had reported the issue to the DM in this regard a month ago. This (the arrest) is the result of that. A term like 'cow slaughter' is being used to target us.”
Amroha district magistrate Ved Prakash confirmed that he had met Shami’s father last month.
"It is true he had met me with a complaint that someone was threatening his family on phone. But he did not mention who his tormentors were,” he said.
Station officer of Didoli police station, Praveen Kumar received a tip-off regarding someone wanted in a case of cow slaughter on Thursday afternoon. A team led by Kumar proceeded to arrest the man in question.
At the scene, Haseeb allegedly stopped the police from doing their job and even engaged in a scuffle with sub-inspector Pradeep Bhardwaj, tearing the latter’s uniform. Due the melee, the accused was able to flee the scene. After which, Haseeb was arrested and charges were filed against him by the police.
Asked about the incident, Kumar said, “Haseeb stopped the police vehicle which was carrying the accused wanted in the cow slaughter case, a man named Rizwan Ahmad. When the sub-inspector and constables confronted him, Haseeb became violent.
“We filed an FIR against Haseeb under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 153 (promoting enmity between different groups), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension). However, on account of his ill-health, he was given bail.”
Shami was ruled out of the Australian tour with injury, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar named as his replacement.