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 couldn’t 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 couldn’t 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.

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