• Shami charged by Kolkata police

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    India fast bowler Mohammad Shami was reportedly charged by police in Kolkata on Thursday following accusations of dowry harassment and sexual assault by his estranged wife.

    Shami has been in sensational form on the cricket field ahead of the World Cup, but his personal life has been plagued by allegations of domestic abuse from his estranged wife. The frontline paceman is expected to lead India’s attack in England, but could be facing legal battles after reportedly being charged by Indian authorities on Thursday.

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    Shami’s wife made the allegations more than a year ago and has also previously accused the fast bowler of corruption, which Shami dismissed as efforts in a campaign to defame him.

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had initially withheld the pacer’s contract when the allegations first surfaced, but the BCCI soon cleared Shami of the corruption charges before offering him an annual retainership contract.

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    Shami will have to prove his innocence once again, this time to the legal authorities after the latest charges against him.

    ‘The charge sheet has been filed against Shami under IPC 498A [for mental and physical torture, and dowry harassment] and 354A [for sexual harassment and assault],’ Dip Narayan Pakrashi, a public prosecutor in Kolkata, told AFP.

    ‘If charges are proven [in court], the punishment may amount to five years imprisonment and a fine,’ added Pakrashi.

    Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

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