Cricketer held for carrying explosives, then released

Bangalore: Over-cautious security or profiling of a Kashmiri Muslim? Bangalore police released a Kashmiri cricketer on Saturday, 24 hours after he was arrested on suspicion of transporting explosives. Parvez Rassol was allowed to go because there was not enough evidence to hold him, officials said.

Rassol was arrested on Friday night, after security sensors at the Chinnaswamy Stadium detected explosives within 300 to 400 metres. On Saturday morning, police searched the stadium and found residue of explosives in a bag, believed to be Rassol's.

Officials and players from 21-year-old Parvez Rasool's team were outraged at his arrest, and refused to leave the stadium. "Parvez was targeted for being a Kashmiri," said the team's assistant manager Hilal Ahmed and physio Ajaz Ahmed.

Back in Kashmir, the state board backed their player. "This is pure harrassment. Its is demoralising for our boys. He is innocent. We have told our General Secretary to bring our boys back‬," said the J&K Cricket Association's Manzoor Wazir.

In what is perhaps a face-saving measure, the Bangalore Police have sent Parvez's controversial bag to the Forensic Science Laboratory for further tests.

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This episode also delayed the Champions League's match scheduled for the day; the two international teams waited at their hotels before they were given an all clear to come to the stadium.

In this era of terrorist threats and heightened security, security forces at an international event like the Champions League are bound to be very careful - perhaps even over-cautious. But Parvez's team sees this arrest as an example of the suspicion with which people from Jammu and Kashmir are typically viewed.

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