Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh was briefly detained and then freed on bail in Haryana on Saturday, according to police, as part of a probe into a complaint that he used a casteist insult against cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal in an Instagram live video.
After his June 2020 Instagram live video with ex-teammate Rohit Sharma – which included his comments on leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal – was widely posted on social media, prompting uproar, the 39-year-old apologised for the “unintentional words” and stated he was “misunderstood.” Mr Chahal’s TikTok videos were discussed by Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma.
“Yuvraj Singh was detained as per court orders on Saturday and later freed on interim bail,” Nitika Gahlaut, a senior police official in Haryana’s Hansi, told NDTV over the phone. Mr Singh’s lawyer, Shazmeen Kara, said that the former cricketer had not been arrested.
According to sources, Mr Singh appeared before the police in Hisar with four to five staff members following him from Chandigarh, including his security personnel.
The decision came after a Dalit activist in Haryana submitted a complaint in February this year, requesting his arrest and the filing of a case under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which tries to prevent discrimination. On the court’s directions, a First Information Report, or FIR, was filed in the case.
Rajat Kalsan, an activist, stated, “The police were asked on October 6 to include Yuvraj Singh in the investigation. Yuvraj Singh surrendered to the police in Hisar yesterday, where he was questioned for two to three hours before being arrested. After that, he was released on bail.”
“Yuvraj Singh will have to accept regular bail from the SC/ST court in Hisar when the police submit their final report in a few days. He will be required to attend court proceedings in Hisar. We will do our best to prove his guilt since he has insulted the whole community,” he said.
“In addition, because his bail was granted under the SC/ST Act, we are appealing it in the Supreme Court, and hopefully you will see him behind bars,” Mr Kalsan said.
In a statement posted on his official Twitter handle last year, Mr Singh had expressed regret “if I have unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments or feelings”, adding that his “love for India and all its people is eternal”.
“I understand that while I was having a conversation with my friends, I was misunderstood, which was unwarranted. However, as a responsible Indian I want to say that if I have unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments or feelings, I would like to express regret for the same. My love for India and all its people is eternal,” the statement added.
(With inputs from NDTV News – Topstories.)
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