Women’s cell records Mohammad Shami’s wife statement

Mohammed Shami with his wife Hasin Jahan.

The Kolkata police, on Saturday retrieved a clip of an audio conversation which is supposedly between India fast bowler Mohammed Shami and his wife Hasin Jahan, a day after he was booked for attempt to murder and rape. On Saturday, members of the women’s grievance cell met Jahan at her residence, at Prince Anwar Shah Road, and recorded her statement. According to police sources, a notice is likely to be issued to Shami to appear before them.

The audio clip, includes Jahan asking Shami whether he was the one interacting with a girl (Alishba) from Pakistan on a messaging service. Jahan, in the clip, is also heard asking Shami whether he had given the Pakistani girl his room number in Dubai.

According to Jahan, Shami had travelled to Dubai after India’s tour of South Africa. Shami is heard telling Jahan that he had to collect money from Alishba and hence he met her in Dubai. Jahan has claimed that she had recorded the conversations between her and Shami and played it to reporters on Friday.

Jahan has claimed that she stumbled on chats when she found a second phone in the car used by the cricketer. Shami has denied the allegations levelled against him and said that a conspiracy was being hatched to malign him.

A senior police officer said that the case was being handled by the detective department because of the ‘gravity of the allegations’, including assault and torture. “Generally marital dispute cases are handled or probed by the local police but it is a high profile case and the complainant has brought serious allegations against her husband Md Shami.

Hence, the case was taken over by detective department,” the senior officer said. The investigating officers may also appeal to the court for a date for recording Jahan’s statement before magistrate.

Police sources also said that, Jahan has taken print outs of conversations, which allegedly took place between Shami and other women too and submitted the same to the detective department. Kolkata Police had booked Shami and his family members under non bailable sections of the penal code on Friday. Shami’s mother Anjuman-Ara-Begum, brother Hasib Ahamed, Hasib’s wife Shama and Shabina Ahjum, Shami’s sister are those whose names are part of the FIR.

The FIR has been lodged under section 498 A (Husband or relative of Husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 307 (attempt to murder), 376(rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.
As per police sources, Shami’s brother has been booked under section 376 of IPC on the basis of the complaint of Jahan who alleged that he had touched her improperly.

“My client is going through a lot of mental and physical pressure. We would like to give time to the investigating agency to probe the case. The content of the FIR is a matter of probe”, said advocate Zakir Hussain, who is representing Hasin Jahan.

In an interview to a news channel Md Shami on Saturday said, “Whatever the misunderstandings it was between a husband and wife and it should have been shorted between us. I still want that things should be solved.”

Following the controversy, the BCCI excluded Shami’s name from the central player contracts. Shami has played 30 Tests, including the three-match series against South Africa in January. He has also represented India in 50 ODIs and 7 T20 games. He is part of the Delhi Daredevils squad in the Indian Premier League.

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