Bangladesh cricket fan ’Tiger Robi’ alleges assault at Kanpur stadium, retracts later

A Bangladeshi cricket fan was rushed to a hospital in Kanpur after an incident at Green Park Stadium, where he was allegedly heckled and assaulted. ‘Tiger Robi’ – a regular at Bangladesh cricket matches and often dressed in a tiger costume – was standing in the C Block balcony at the Kanpur stadium, where the second Test match of India-Bangladesh was being played, when the episode unfolded.

A video shared by PTI showed Tiger Robi being escorted by medical and security personnel from the stadium. He was later seen seated in a chair, drinking water and pointing at his back, likely indicating that he was “hit” in the back.

However, in a subsequent video message, Robi denied any assault, attributing the incident to a pre-existing medical condition. Kanpur Police, too, has confirmed that Tiger Robi, who is in India on a medical visa, has been undergoing treatment for tuberculosis.

“Robi has reportedly been suffering from Tuberculosis, a serious illness that mainly affects the lungs, and has come to India for his treatment,” said Harish Chander, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order). Robi had earlier attended the first test match of the India-Bangladesh series in Chennai.

Authorities are now investigating Robi's visa and passport details, as well as his travel history and activities since arriving in India. “We have screened the CCTV footage, which is also shared with media in which he was seen coming towards the media centre gate and suddenly he sat on the ground and was seen writhing in pain. My constable and several others went to take stock of the matter, but Robi could not communicate the exact sequence of events. But it was clear that he was in distress,” Harish Chander added.

Earlier, Kanpur Police had denied allegations of assault, stating that the CCTV footage would be used to cross-check Robi's claims. The Bangladeshi fan suffered from dehydration and was taken to hospital and he was fine, Harish Chander had earlier told PTI.

The second Test match between the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team and the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led Bangladesh national team was called off on Day 1 at Kanpur's Green Park Stadium on 27 September due to rains.

(With agency inputs)