after he was rescued from a mob in Cuttack on Sunday. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das
Cuttack, Aug. 27: Police today rescued former skipper of Odisha's Ranji squad Haladhar Das in an "inebriated state" from an irate crowd at Chahata.
A mobile police squad of Bidanasi police station rescued the former cricketer from the clutches of a mob after he was dragged out of his car and manhandled. His car was also stoned and damaged. The incident occurred around 5pm.
"There were around 50 people. They were quite vocal about Das's alleged rash driving on the ring road, posing threat to passers-by. We brought him to Bidanasi police station in a completely inebriated state," said inspector-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Rout.
"There were allegations that a rashly driven blue Maruti Swift car had hit passers-by at several places on the ring road stretch from Manglabag to Chahata," Rout said.
"However, as no accidents took place on the stretch that falls in Bidanasi police station limits, we have not registered any case against him. We have just made him sit here for his safety," he said.
"If any accidents took place on the other stretch of ring road, it is for the concerned police stations to register cases against Das," he said.
Manglabag police station inspector-in-charge Arun Kumar Swain said: "We have not received any reports of accidents or people being injured on ring road that falls within our limits."
His counterpart at Cantonment police station Biswajit Mohanty echoed the same.
Das has represented Odisha in Ranji Trophy matches as a wicket-keeper batsman. He was also a member of Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League.
Das hit the headlines for wrong reasons when the Odisha Cricket Association axed him for the 2011 Ranji season.
The association had acted against him after Das was not available at the dinner table on the eve of a match. It was later learnt that he had left hotel without the team manager's permission only to return around 9.45pm.
A fortnight later, the cricket body lifted the ban after Das had begged an apology before the association's disciplinary committee and assured them of not repeating the mistake.
