With Bangalore police releasing two cricketers from Jammu and Kashmir after lack of evidence against them following the allegation about the presence of residue of explosive material in one of their bags,Union New and Renewable Energy Minister,Farooq Abdullah,who is also the president of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has told the J-K police chief to ascertain whether calls were made to the Bangalore police to falsely implicate the duo Parvez Rasool and Mehrajudin. Abdullah said,I have learnt that Karnataka police got calls from the state (J&K) and was fed wrong information, he said. I suspect the role of the people who couldnt find place in the team. I have told the Director General of Police to find out who these people are. The JKCA has objected to the incident and will lodge a protest with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) even as the Karnataka Cricket Association has apologised for the treatment meted out to players from the state. Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association,Aslam Goni,said,The Karnataka Association has expressed its apology over the incident. We have raised the matter with the DGP and police will look into whether false calls were made from here to the Bangalore police. The police investigation has been sought by the JKCA as it believes that some cricketers who were dropped and couldnt take part in the under-22 championship may have made a call to the Bangalore police. Sources said that the BCCI will be told that the incident happened despite a thorough checking of the cricketers at both the Srinagar airport as well as at other destinations on their way to Bangalore. However,after Bangalore police let off Rasool and Mehrajudin following the lack of incriminating evidence against them,the under-22 team from Jammu and Kashmir has been allowed to play with Bangalore on October 21. Though we are lodging the protest with BCCI,we have decided to play the matches. We are playing the match at Bangalore and will play other two matches at Mumbai and Jaipur as part of the C K Naidu championship league, said,JKCA general secretary Saleem Khan. On Saturday,hours after the J-K cricketers were arrested,they were later released by Bangalore police for lack of evidence. Sources said that the Bangalore police grew suspicious as the two cricketers had objected to the use of dog squads for checking their bags. When the police went with sniffer dogs to Parvezs hotel room,he refused to let the dog check his bag. This started the argument between them,leading to his arrest, said Ghulam Rasool Zargar,the father of Parvez,who has himself been a cricketer. Saleem Khan,secretary,JKCA said they were in touch with the boys. We have left the decision to them. They will tell us what is on their mind, he said. We will take our time. We still have two days to go before the start of the match with Karnataka on October 21. The coach,Abdul Qayoom,who is with the team in Bangalore,said that the boys were willing to forget the incident and move on. The team has been treated exceptionally well after the episode. So the boys are willing to concentrate on the game, Qayoom said. see also page 18
