Cricketer and Indian Premier League (IPL) star Shashank Singh and his father Shailesh Singh, also a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, have been booked after their cook alleged verbal abuse, assault and confinement against his will by them.
Bhopal police registered a case at Ratpad police station on Monday following a complaint filed by 31-year-old Vibindra Singh Tomar, who started working at Singh’s house only recently.
Shashank Singh plays in the Indian Premier League for Punjab Kings.
Their driver, along with the cricketer and his father, is also accused in the case and is currently under investigation by the Ratbad police, news agency ANI reported.
Tomar, who hails from Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh, was working as a cook in the Singh family’s home in Menduri village in Bhopal, and got the job through an acquaintance.
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$Salary 15,000 with government job guarantee
In his written complaint, Tomar alleged that he was promised a salary of $1,000 $15,000 plus free accommodation and food at Shailesh Singh’s Nilbad bungalow. Tomar also claimed that he was also given assurances of help in getting a government job in the future.
However, things got worse for Tomar, who, within hours of taking the job, was subjected to severe mental stress and verbal abuse, according to the complaint. There were complaints about the quality of food being prepared there and things quickly escalated after that, Tomar claimed.
He said he decided not to continue in this new job after noticing the abusive behavior and his employers told him he wanted to quit and go home, which angered the defendant, the complaint said.
“Beating, confiscating the phone, and forcing them to work against their will.”
Describing his ordeal while speaking to Annie, Tomar said he decided he didn’t want to work there when he noticed the abusive work environment and realized it was too much work on the first day of his job.
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He said that when he went to inform his employer of his decision, his phone was taken and accused Shaish Singh asked him: “Why did you come here? Are you here to kill me? Are you here to steal? I will investigate you. You will have to work for at least a month.”
Tomar also said that the accused tried to intimidate him by saying, “I have shot a lot of people like you.” He added that he worked for two days, hoping that they would return his phone, but when that did not happen, he had to lock himself in a room and demand that his phone be returned, after which the family’s driver started breaking the door. Tomar claimed that cricketer Shashank Singh then came and asked him to open the door.
“As soon as I opened the door, both of them – the driver and Shashank – beat me like a dog. Shashank’s father and sister also joined them and they stopped only when they thought I was going to die,” Tomar said.
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In a medical examination conducted by the police later, it was confirmed that Tomar had clear signs of injury on his face and body.
“He paid them even the price of three days’ food.”
The cook said that while he was repeatedly beaten by the accused, he also gave them his Aadhaar card and everything else they asked for to allow him to return.
“He (the accused) asked me to pay for eating there for three days. My sister’s husband sent me $“I gave them $1,000,” Tomar said, before adding that they only let him go after they made him write a statement.
“They did not pay me even a single rupee for my work,” he said.
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He added: “They kicked me and beat me with sticks, shoes and hands with everything they could. Shashank Singh, his father Shailesh Singh, their driver and his sister participated in beating me.”
“The gate opened when Shashank Singh arrived.”
Recalling his ordeal, the complainant said that he opened the gate after locking himself only when Shashank Singh arrived and he thought that the cricketer would help him leave the place.
“I thought he was their son, he is rational, and he would help me out. But as soon as I opened the gate, he took offense and started beating me badly,” Tomar told ANI.
He also claimed that a police complaint was also lodged after he started speaking to the media.
Ratbad police registered an FIR based on the complaint and filed a case under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita – Section 296 (b) obscene acts and public verbal abuse; Article 115(2) Voluntarily causing hurt/assault and Article 3(5) Joint criminal liability (acts done by several persons with common intentions).
The cricketer has not reacted to the issue yet.
(With inputs from Annie)
