<p>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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />“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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />“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. <br /><br /></p>
<p>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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />“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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />“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. <br /><br /></p>
