Pitch invasion in car brings Ranji tie to halt
NEW DELHI: In a major security breach, a man drove his car on to the cricket pitch while a Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh was on at the Indian Air Force ground in Palam, a stone’s throw from the domestic airport, on Friday.
Cricketers, including India players Ishant Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina, looked on in disbelief as the 32-year-old man in a Wagon R, later described by the police as depressed due to marital discord, brought the game to a brief halt during the evening session.
The man, Girish Sharma, was stopped by security officials as he tried to drive out and handed over to Delhi Police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest), Shibesh Singh, said he was in custody and being questioned at the Delhi Cantonment station. Sources told HT Sharma got hysterical at the station and police then summoned his parents to the station. His family told them he was depressed and disturbed after his wife left him a few months ago.
Police said they have not received any complaint. “We’ve verified his antecedents. He left his Puth Kalan house in outer Delhi in the afternoon and was driving the whole day. No FIR has been registered.”
Delhi were playing their home match away from Ferozeshah Kotla as it was being prepared to stage the Twenty20 tie against New Zealand on November 1.
Players were potentially exposed to suffering serious injuries in the incident which happened on the penultimate day of the four-day match.
Entry to the sprawling ground is usually guarded by IAF personnel. A senior IAF official said that at around 4.30 pm, a security guard of the IAF was checking a BCCI vehicle when he spotted the Wagon R enter.