Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh was briefly arrested and then released on bail in Haryana on Saturday, according to police, as part of a probe into an allegation that he used a casteist insult against player Yuzvendra Chahal in an Instagram live video.
After his June 2020 Instagram live video with ex-teammate Rohit Sharma – which included his comments about leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal – was widely circulated on social media, causing an uproar, the 39-year-old apologized for the “unintentional statements” and stated he was “misunderstood.” Mr. Chahal’s TikTok videos were discussed by Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma.
“As per court orders, Yuvraj Singh was arrested and then released on interim bail on Saturday,” Nitika Gahlaut, a senior police officer in Haryana’s Hansi, told News Agency over the phone. However, Mr. Singh’s representative Shazmeen Kara said the former cricketer had not been arrested.
Sources said Mr. Singh had appeared before the police in Hisar with four to five staffers, including his security personnel, accompanying him from Chandigarh.
The move came following a complaint filed in February this year by a Dalit activist in Haryana, demanding his arrest and registration of a case under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which aims to prohibit discrimination. A First Information Report or FIR was filed in the case on orders of the court.
The activist, Rajat Kalsan, said, “On October 6, the police was asked to include Yuvraj Singh in the probe. We have learned that yesterday, Yuvraj Singh surrendered before the police in Hisar, he was questioned for two to three hours and then arrested. He was then released on bail bonds.”
“The police will submit its final report in a few days in the SC/ST court in Hisar and Yuvraj Singh will have to take regular bail from there. He will have to attend the hearings at the court in Hisar. We will do our best to prove his guilt since he has insulted the whole community,” he said.
“Also, since the bail was given to him under the SC/ST Act, we are challenging it in the Supreme Court and hopefully you will see him behind bars,” Mr. Kalsan added.
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.
