As S Sreesanth was going through the formalities to come out of the Tihar jail in New Delhi on Tuesday, young followers of cricket in Kochi were not lost to the fact that the IPL spot-fixing scandal was yet to be decoded.
A day after the Rajasthan Royals player was granted bail in the sensational case, the youth in city colleges were glad that Kerala’s most successful cricketer is out of jail. However, they also voiced their concerns that Sreesanth could have received a raw deal in the spot-fixing case which has rocked Indian cricket, indicating the need for true justice.
Though his innocence, or guilt for that matter, is yet to be proven, and even as the MCOCA court found no evidence against the accused to establish a “nexus” with any organised crime syndicate, there is an opinion among youngsters that the accusations against Sreesanth were aimed at jeopardising his career.
“His bail out could have happened earlier given the lack of strong evidence. We strongly believe that this was a trap, a drama to conceal somebody else’s crime,” said Jias V N of Maharaja’s College.
The most common sentiment is that the exuberant cricketer is being discriminated against. “It could be the result of some conspiracy. Time would prove the intensity of truth in the allegations,” says Jilesh C H, a Government Law College student.
Another law student, Joseph Gopuran said: “The anti-terrorist law being charged on him was totally unfair.” “There are conspicuous evidences of the bending of rules and modification of laws, thus leading to Sreesanth being trapped,” added Ann Jain Thomas of St Teresa’s College.
Meanwhile, there are others who think that the international fast bowler should not have too free a run. “The issue is still foggy to sort out his innocence beyond doubt. The bail should not let him be a free bird or be spot free till the clarity of conscience is available to the instrument of justice,” says Tom C Thomas, a teacher at Sacred Heart College.