'No ball' decision costs umpire his sister

Raj Kumar, a resident of Jarara town situated 20 kilometres from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, would not have thought in his dreams that his one decision of declaring a delivery 'no ball' would end up in him losing his sister.

The incident took place last Friday when Kumar, who was umpiring in one of the cricket matches in the Jarara Premier League organised by the village people, declared a delivery 'no ball' at the crucial stage of the game between Jarara and Bariki.

Angry at his decision, Sandeep Pal, one of the players, went up to him and told him that his decision was unfair and, therefore, he should change it.

Kumar, however, felt that it was a correct decision and did not change it following which, Pal started beating him and said the umpire would have to pay dearly for the mistake.

On Sunday, when Kumar's sister, Pooja and three of her friends, were going to the forest to bring some mud, Pal on gun-point offered them cold drinks laced with poison.

Consuming the drink, Pooja collapsed moments later. The other three girls, identified as Rupvati, Preeti and Kusum, are presently admitted at the Malkhan Singh Hospital.

Following the incident, the police is investigating the case from all the angles.