On Saturday, 28th September, Rabi-ul-Islam, popularly known as Tiger Robi, was deported to Bangladesh. The development came a day after Tiger Robi claimed to have been beaten up by Indian fans during the ongoing India-Bangladesh Test Match in Kanpur. The allegations were later found to be false. According to reports, he came to India on a medical visa, but instead of receiving treatment, Robi was enjoying cricket matches dressed in fancy costume to cheer for his home country’s Bangladesh Cricket Team.
Reportedly, even the medical visa of Tiger Robi had expired while he was watching the Test Match in Kanpur.
Speaking to the media, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Local Intelligence Unit, Rajesh Kumar Srivastava, said that Robi, who was suffering from metastatic cancer, came to India on a medical visa. He was sent back to Bangladesh at his request.
Interestingly, Robi was escorted by police personnel to Chakeri airport, and the police remained with him until his flight took off for Delhi on Saturday. From Delhi airport, he took a flight to Dhaka in the afternoon and was not allowed to leave the airport premises throughout, ADCP Srivastava said.
Speaking to PTI, Srivastava pointed out that Robi came to India on 18th September after obtaining a visa on medical grounds to receive treatment in Howrah. However, instead of visiting the hospital, he chose to visit Chennai to support the Bangladesh team during their first Test match against India. After that, Robi came to Kanpur to attend the second match, where he created controversy.
On 27th September, Tiger Robi reached Green Park Stadium. He walked to the C-Balcony enclosure and was seen waving flags during the match. Police officials said that the long walk and waving flags throughout the match could have resulted in exhaustion.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Harish Chandra, spoke to PTI on the matter and said, “He was found gasping for breath when he met a constable. He became unconscious before we could speak to him.” He was rushed to Regency Hospital for treatment. He was discharged on the evening of 27th September.
During his conversation with the media, Robi claimed that he was punched in the abdomen during an altercation with Indian fans. It sparked controversy, and social media posts claimed he was beaten up by Indian fans because he was abusing Indian cricketers. However, CCTV footage and other evidence showed he was lying. When he regained consciousness in the hospital, Robi made a complete U-turn from his previous statement and said he had merely felt unwell and was assisted by the local police. He said, “I fell ill, and the police brought me to the hospital. Now I am feeling much better.”
Reportedly, Robi reached Kanpur on the night of 26th September. He spent the night on the street with labourers. On the 27th night, he was moved to a hotel to spend the night in Kanpur. The next day, he was taken to Chakeri airport and then deported to Bangladesh.
Speaking to the media, ACP (Kalyanpur) Abhishek Pandey said that immediate medical care was provided to Robi. He refuted the allegations that Robi was beaten up during the match. According to reports, it remains unclear how he managed to travel for the matches despite being on a medical visa.
Tiger Robi lied about getting assaulted
On 27th September, Bangladesh cricket team’s ‘super fan’ Tiger Robi sparked a controversy by claiming that he was beaten up by Indian fans. The incident came to light when he was taken to hospital after he had suddenly fallen ill during the second test match played between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur. He was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital by police. Robi is known for travelling to every venue where the Bangladesh cricket team plays its cricket matches. However, police officials clarified that he wasn’t assaulted at the ground and had only gotten ill.
