'Inmate tried to kill Sreesanth in Tihar'

The controversy around banned Indian cricketer S Sreesanth had a twist on Friday with a relative of his claiming that an attempt to kill the cricketer was made during his stay in the Tihar prison in connection with the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scam.

Madhu Balakrishnan, Sreesanth’s brother-in-law and a popular Malayalam-Tamil playback singer, said during a television interview here that a prison inmate – accused in a murder case – had tried to kill the cricketer with a sharpened door bolt.

“Sreesanth managed to escape from the attack. The assailant injured his finger in the struggle and was later taken out and lodged in another cell,” Balakrishnan said.

Delhi police arrested Sreesanth in May 2013 in connection with the IPL spot-fixing scam. Sreesanth played for Rajasthan Royals in the league. He was in judicial custody in Tihar prison for 27 days.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) banned Sreesanth in September 2013. Sreesanth who is facing trial in a Delhi court, has repeatedly expressed hope of returning to top-level cricket.

Balakrishnan said he was not aware of any link between the attack on Sreesanth and the spot-fixing scam. He, however, claimed that Sreesanth was targeted because of personal differences he had with people involved in the scam.

“A probe has to be initiated into the incident because our family firmly believes that Sreesanth was a victim of personal vendetta,” Balakrishnan said. The cricketer had returned home traumatised by his stay in the prison and was still “recovering” from the experience, he said.