'Suspected cricketers' asked to stay back in Bangalore

Bangalore: The two Jammu and Kashmir cricketers, who were detained after explosives detectors found traces of RDX in their kit bag, prompting the nervous organisers of the Champions League to delay the start of the quarterfinal league matches, were asked to stay back in Bangalore until the police got the final forensic examination report. Bangalore police on Sunday informed that the cricketers can leave Bangalore if and only the forensic report clears them of the charge. Bangalore Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said that they are expecting to get the final forensic report by tomorrow. Earlier on Saturday, the arrest of Parvez Rassol, an Under-22 J&K cricketer, threw the police into a tizzy with two League A matches of the high-profile tournament being scheduled in the Chinnaswamy stadium where the player was staying. "Though we have not found any explosives in the bag, we suspect that some residue of the explosive may be in the bag which may have been used in the past for carrying explosives or transporting them elsewhere," Bidari said. "We have seized the bag and detained the owner, Parvez Rassol, a first year BA student from Bij Bahara in Anantnag district of J&K for questioning," he said. Sources said the state police have already sent a request to its counterparts in J&K to do a background check on the player. Meanwhile, a Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association official said that nothing has been found from the two cricketers picked up by the police for questioning. "Our boys had gone to play some matches in Cuttack and from there they went to Bangalore yesterday. After landing in Bangalore, they got accommodation through Karnataka Association in the stadium itself and before entering the stadium they were checked (this morning)," Saleem Khan, secretary of JKCA said.