The Jammu and Kashmir Police have launched an enquiry after a cricketer from Pulwama was seen wearing a helmet featuring the Palestinian flag during a private match in Jammu.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have initiated a preliminary enquiry after a player from south Kashmir was seen wearing a helmet bearing the Palestinian flag during a cricket match in Jammu. The move has stirred attention both locally and online, following the emergence of videos showing the player during the game.
Incident sparks investigation
According to officials, the player has been identified as Furqan Ul Haq, a resident of Tangipuna in Pulwama district. He was participating in a match of the Jammu and Kashmir Champions League, a privately organised cricket tournament being held in Jammu. In the visual clips circulating on social media, Furqan was seen sporting a helmet with a Palestine insignia during play at K C Door ground in Muthi on Thursday.
A police spokesperson said the action was taken keeping in mind the sensitivity of the issue and its potential to disturb public order. A fourteen-day preliminary enquiry has been initiated at Domana Police Station under Section 173(3) of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita. The investigation will focus on understanding the context, intent, and any possible affiliations surrounding the incident.
Clarification from cricket authorities
The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) clarified that it had no connection whatsoever with the tournament. The association maintained that the event was privately organised and was not recognised by the official cricketing body of the Union Territory. Officials repeated that the JKCA only oversees tournaments and matches approved under its jurisdiction and that the Champions League was an independent event.
Second controversy in local cricket
This latest development comes barely two months after another private cricket event in the region faced controversy. The Indian Heaven Premier League, a tournament conducted in Srinagar, was abruptly halted after its organisers reportedly disappeared on 1 November, allegedly defrauding players, broadcasters, and hotel owners.
That event had begun on 25 October at Bakshi Stadium with cricketers of international repute such as Chris Gayle, Martin Guptill, and Thisara Perera. However, it collapsed after only twelve of the scheduled twenty-seven matches were completed, leaving nearly sixty players, including former Indian stars Parvez Rasool, Praveen Kumar, and Iqbal Abdullah, along with match officials and ground staff, unpaid and stranded.
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