Bangladeshi fan sent back after controversy over Kanpur incident
Kanpur (UP), Sep 28: Bangladeshi cricket fan Rabi-ul-Islam, also popularly called Tiger Robi, has been "deported" to his country, sources said on Saturday, a day after he stoked a controversy by claiming he was assaulted inside the stadium here during the India-Bangladesh test match and later retracting his allegation.
However, Additional DCP (Local Intelligence Unit) Rajesh Kumar Srivastava said Robi, who was suffering from metastatic cancer, had come to India on a medical visa and authorities had facilitated his travel back home as per his wish.
Robi was taken to Chakeri airport escorted by police personnel and they remained there till his flight took off for Delhi on Saturday. The Bangladeshi national took a flight for Dhaka from Delhi airport in the afternoon and he was not allowed to go outside the airport premises, the official said.
ADCP Srivastava told PTI that Robi had come to India on September 18 after getting a visa on medical grounds to undergo treatment at a hospital in Howrah but instead visited Chennai to support the Bangladesh team who played their first test and later left for Kanpur.
Robi reached Green Park stadium on Friday morning and walked to the C-Balcony enclosure and was seen waving flags during the match which may have resulted in exhaustion and he was taken ill, police officials said.
"He was found gasping for breath when he met a constable. He became unconscious before we could speak to him," Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Harish Chander told PTI.
He was taken to Regency Hospital from where he was discharged on Friday late evening, the ACP added.
Earlier, during a brief interaction with the media on Friday, Robi indicated that he had been punched in his abdomen during an altercation. However, in a statement issued from his hospital bed later, he said he merely felt unwell and was given the requisite assistance by the local police.
"I fell ill and the police brought me to the hospital. Now I am feeling much better," he stated in a short video clip.
According to officials, Robi had reached Kanpur on Thursday night and he had to sleep on the street along with labourers.
He stayed at a hotel in Kanpur on Friday night and was taken to Chakeri airport on Saturday morning, they said.
Abhishek Pandey, ACP (Kalyanpur), said Robi received immediate medical care and insisted that he had not been assaulted as alleged in early reports.
Sources said it is not clear how he travelled for the matches despite having a medical visa and has been deported.
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Prices of cigarettes, beedis, pan masala to rise from Feb 1 with new tax, cess
New Delhi: Cigarettes, beedis, pan masala and other tobacco products will become costlier from February 1 after the Centre notified additional excise duty on tobacco products and a new Health and National Security Cess on pan masala, NDTV reported.
According to a notification issued by the government on Wednesday, the new levies will be imposed over and above the existing Goods and Services Tax (GST) and will replace the compensation cess currently charged on these products.
From February 1, pan masala, cigarettes, tobacco and similar products will attract a GST rate of 40 per cent, while biris will attract 18 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST), according to a government notification.
On top of this, a Health and National Security Cess will be levied on pan masala, while tobacco and related products will attract additional excise duty.
The Finance Ministry also notified the Chewing Tobacco, Jarda Scented Tobacco and Gutkha Packing Machines (Capacity Determination and Collection of Duty) Rules, 2026, which will govern the assessment and collection of excise duty on these products.
Parliament had in December approved two Bills allowing levy of the new Health and National Security Cess on pan masala manufacturing and excise duty on tobacco.
The notification issued on Wednesday formally set February 1 as the implementation date. With the rollout of the new tax structure, the existing GST compensation cess on tobacco and pan masala, which is currently levied at varying rates, will cease to exist effective February 1.
