Delhi chief selector Bhandari attacked over selection issue
NEW DELHI: Former India pacer Amit Bhandari, who is chairman of the DDCA senior selection committee, was on Monday assaulted by a group of unidentified men during the Delhi senior team’s training at the St Stephen’s ground.
Bhandari sustained head and ear injuries and was taken to Sant Paramanand Hospital at Civil Lines by his colleague Sukhvinder Singh. The goons fled before the cops could reach the spot.
“We are looking into the matter and a case will be registered after recording the statement of the victim,” Nupur Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) said.
Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rajat Sharma said that guilty will not be spared. “We are trying to procure all details of the incident. As far as I have come to know, it is regarding one disgruntled player, who didn’t make it to the probables list for the National U-23 tournament. “The SHO from the local police station has reached the Stephen’s ground and I have personally spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. The guilty will not go unpunished. I promise exemplary action against whoever is found involved in this misdeed. We will register an FIR,” Rajat Sharma said.
Sharma, who went to meet Bhandari at the hospital said: “He is very shaken and it is natural. The doctors have advised that he should be kept under observation for 24 hours as a precautionary measure.”
“The goons were pressurising him to select a player, who had failed to get into the U-23 team on merit. Amit claimed that one man also threatened him with a revolver.”
FORMER STARS SEEK STRICT ACTION
Former India batman Virender Sehwag demanded strict action.
“The attack on Delhi selector Amit Bhandari for not picking a player is a new low and I am hopeful that stringent action will be taken against the culprit and adequate measures will be taken to avoid such incidents,’ Sehwag tweeted.
Former India opener and Delhi legend Gautam Gambhir said a life ban should be handed to the guilty.
“Disgusted to see this happen right in heart of the capital. This can’t slip under the carpet and I will personally ensure it does not,” he tweeted.
“To begin with I am calling for a life ban for the player who, orchestrated this attack post his non-selection.”
TWO ARRESTED FOR THE ATTACK
“We have arrested Anuj Dheda and his accomplice Naveen from their hideout. Efforts are on to arrest other accomplices,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said later in the evening as pressure built on officials to take strict action.