Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina was arrested by the Mumbai Police in December 2020 for violating COVID-19 social distancing norms set by the Indian government.
Suresh Raina, along with 33 others, was apprehended at the Dragonfly Experience club near the Mumbai airport in the early hours of the morning for partying beyond the permitted time limit.
ALSO READ: Prominent Cricketers Who Went To Jail
Details of the Incident
According to Manjunath Singe, the deputy commissioner of Mumbai Police, “legal action” was taken against Raina and the others arrested at the club. Singe stated, “It is a violation of government instructions because the government has asked them [people] not to party beyond a certain time, so they have violated that rule.”
Raina was released on bail shortly after his arrest. His management team issued a statement later that day, clarifying that he had been unaware of the local rules and restrictions. They expressed that Raina “regrets” the “unintentional incident.”
The statement explained that Raina had been in Mumbai for a shoot that extended late into the night and was invited by a friend for dinner before his flight back to Delhi.
Context of the Arrest
This incident occurred just hours after the Maharashtra government announced a night-time curfew in Mumbai, which came into effect on the same day.
Raina’s arrest marked the second time in five months that he made headlines for non-cricketing reasons. In August 2020, he abruptly left the IPL’s bio-secure bubble in the UAE and returned to India, citing personal reasons.
Despite the arrest, Raina’s cricketing career remained unaffected. He was named in the probables list for his state team Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s domestic T20 tournament.
ALSO READ: Top 10: Cricketers Who Pursued Alternate Careers After Retirement