Shami's father claims 'cow slaughter' being used to target family

'It is just that a few persons are nurturing enmity with our family because of the publicity we have got after Shami started playing for India'

India’s fast bowler Mohammed Shami’s family is in ‘danger’ according to his father Tauseef Ahmad, who has reportedly alleged that ‘cow slaughter’ is being used to target them.

Tauseef reacted a day after Shami’s brother Haseeb was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer and trying to pressure police to drop charges of cow slaughter against certain individuals on Friday.

Haseeb was later released on bail. However, Tauseeb Ahmad (Shami and Hasseb’s father) says that his family is in danger and that the ‘sensitive’ issue of cow slaughter is being used to target them.

Speaking to Times of India about the incident, Ahmad said: “My son was not even present there at the time of the incident and had reached the site only much later.

“He (Haseeb) was just an onlooker like so many others who had gathered there. He was unnecessarily dragged into the controversy.”

“It is just that a few persons are nurturing enmity with our family because of the publicity we have got after Shami started playing for team India.

“I had reported the issue to the DM in this regard a month ago. This (the arrest) is the result of that. A term like 'cow slaughter' is being used to target us,” Shami’s father added.

District Magistrate of Amroha Ved Prakash confirmed that Tauseeb had indeed said someone was threatening his family on the phone, but did not reveal the identity of the people making the calls.

"It is true he had met me with a complaint that someone was threatening his family on phone. But he did not mention who his tormentors were,” he said.

Station officer of Didoli, Praveen Kumar, on Thursday got a tip-off about a certain Rizwan Ahmad wanted in a cow slaughter case.

When Kumar's team reached the site, Haseeb allegedly scuffled with sub-inspector Pradeep Bhardwaj, preventing the arrest of the accused, who eventually fled.

Bhardwaj's uniform was torn as a result of the scuffle with Haseeb.

“Haseeb stopped the police vehicle which was carrying the accused. When the sub-inspector and constables confronted him, Haseeb became violent.

“We filed an FIR on charges of rioting, promoting enmity between groups and causing hurt to deter public servant from doing his duty among others. However, due to ill-health, he was given bail,” Kumar said.

Pacer Shami was ruled out of the Australian tour due to injury, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar named as his replacement.