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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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
