Mohammad Shami in Kolkata for match, first time since wife lodged plaint

KOLKATA: India pacer Mohammad Shami arrived in the city on Sunday — for the first time since his wife Hasin Jahan lodged a complaint of domestic abuse, rape and attempt to murder against him and his relatives on March 8 — for the Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders match on Monday.



The pacer checked into the hotel around 5.30pm with the rest of his team and headed straight to his room. He skipped the optional practice session at the Eden Gardens, barely 500m away, and spent time at the hotel.

As Shami got off the team bus when he arrived, at least two dozen officers of Kolkata Police stood guard outside the Great Eastern Hotel to ensure safety of the team. However, till late on Sunday, no officer of the detective department questioned Shami in the case.

Officers whom TOI spoke to refused to comment on the matter, but added that so far in the investigation, they haven’t found anything conclusive that would require them to question Shami in person. “Our team had been to UP and we have questioned several people over there. There is no complaint of domestic violence or assault against Shami or his brother at the local police station and no one there could substantiate the instances of violence that Hasin Jahan had complained of,” said an officer.

Sitting at her home, around 9km away, Shami’s wife Hasin Jahan rued that she had even called Praveen Tripathi, the joint commissioner (crime) of Kolkata Police, but he allegedly told her that he was on leave.

“I had called Tripathi, but he said he was on leave and can only discuss the issue day after tomorrow when he joins office. However, by that time, Shami will have left the city since the match is on Monday. I am at a loss. I don’t know what to do. I am slowly losing faith in the city police,” Hasin said.

Tripathi is indeed on leave and did not comment on the matter despite repeated calls and texts from TOI.

Hasin was upset with the way the police had been handling the case. “I had a lot of faith in the city police initially, but seeing the way the case is being handled, I am slowly losing my faith. It seems any celebrity can escape the law using his influence and power, and helpless citizen like me will continue to suffer,” she told TOI.

When Hasin had lodged the complaint, Shami was in Dharamshala for a Deodhar Trophy game. Since then, Shami never returned to his apartment in Jadavpur and had been shuttling between UP and Delhi. During the period, he had even met with a road accident on his way to Delhi from Dehradun. Hasin had then gone to Delhi to meet him. However, Shami had allegedly refused to entertain her and had threatened to see her in court.

On being asked if she will again try to meet Shami now that he was in Kolkata, Hasin said: “What is the use? He had humiliated me when I went to Delhi to meet him. There is no point in me trying to meet him again and facing insult. I would rather be happy if the cops meet him,” she said.