Indian cricketer S. Sreesanth has recently approached the Kerala High Court, seeking anticipatory bail in a case alleging cheating related to a villa project turned cricket academy. The case, which has garnered significant attention, involves accusations that Sreesanth, along with two other accused, misled a complainant into investing in a villa project, which was later proposed to be converted into a cricket academy under Sreesanth’s guidance.
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Justice Mohammed Nias C.P. of the Kerala High Court, upon hearing the matter, directed the state not to take any coercive action against Sreesanth until the next hearing scheduled for November 28, 2023. The prosecution’s allegation is that the complainant was persuaded to invest in the villa project, with later assurances of a partnership in the cricket academy, leading to financial transactions in 2019.
Sreesanth, in his plea, has firmly denied any involvement in the alleged cheating. He stated that while he had been approached with the proposal to start the academy and had given his input pro bono as a cricket enthusiast, he had no financial dealings with the complainant or the other accused.
“The petitioner out of his interest and passion for the game, gave tips and consultations to the 1st accused when he approached him with the proposal to start a cricketing academy that too in Kollur, a holy land for Hindus being the Home ground of Lordess Mookambika Devi. His naivety never made him realize the trouble that was being portrayed by the 1st accused,”
Sreesanth submitted before the Court.
In his defense, Sreesanth highlighted his innocence and suspected a conspiracy and foul play behind the allegations. He pointed out that the complaint was filed belatedly, despite the transactions allegedly occurring in 2019. He also mentioned his current active involvement in cricket, including his performance in the Legends League Cricket and consideration for other professional league cricket auctions.
“The petitioner is totally innocent of the allegations and defamatory allegations are leveled against the petitioner in order to arm-twist and pull-out resources from him in the name of a forced settlement. It is submitted that the petitioner is totally innocent of the charges and the allegations are not only untrue but also defamatory as well. It is only intended to malign the petitioner and his family. No purpose would be served by the custody of the petitioner herein and the arrest of the Petitioner at this time would lead to irreparable harm and damage to him,”
the plea states.
The case, titled S. Sreesanth v. State of Kerala (Bail Appl. 10582/ 2023), is set to be further considered by the Court on the specified date, with the Public Prosecutor expected to provide instructions. The plea has been moved through a team of advocates including Renjith B. Marar, Lakshmi N. Kaimal, P. Rajkumar, Keshavraj Nair, Arun Poomulli, Preetha S. Chandran, Abhijith Sreekumar, Anand Remesh, C.R. Rekha, and Abhiram S.
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