Virat Kohli reprimanded for inappropriate shoulder contact with South African player
Bengaluru, Sep 23: India captain Virat Kohli has received an official warning and one demerit point for violating ICC Code of Conduct when he made an inappropriate shoulder contact with pacer Beuran Hendricks during the third T20 International against South Africa here.
Kohli was found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct in the match which South Africa won by nine wickets on Sunday.
The incident occurred in the fifth over of India's innings, when Kohli made contact with bowler Beuran Hendricks while taking a run.
"Kohli was found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to 'Inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match'," the ICC said in a statement.
In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Kohli, for whom it was the third offence since the introduction of the revised Code in September 2016.
Kohli now has three demerit points after having got one demerit point each during the Pretoria Test against South Africa on January 15, 2018 and against Afghanistan in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 on June 22.
"Kohli admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, and as such, there was no need for a formal hearing," the ICC said.
On-field umpires Nitin Menon and C K Nandan, third umpire Anil Chaudhary and fourth official Chettihody Shamshuddin levelled the charge.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player's match fee, and one or two demerit points.
When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned.
Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.
Demerit points will remain on a player or player support personnel's disciplinary record for a period of 24 months from their imposition, following which they will be expunged.
Virat Kohli was found to have made "inappropriate" shoulder contact with Beuran Hendricks while taking a run, and now has three demerit points on his disciplinary record
— CRIC Clips (@CricKontent) September 23, 2019
#INDvSA #ViratKohli #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/e75fylJzYs
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Savarkar remarks: Rahul Gandhi appears in Pune court via video link in defamation case, gets bail
Pune, Jan 10: A special court in Pune on Friday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case related to his alleged objectionable remarks on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar.
The MP/MLA court granted bail to the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha on a surety bond of Rs 25,000 after he appeared before it through video conferencing, his lawyer said.
Senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi stood as surety for Gandhi (54) before the court presided over by Amol Shinde, judicial magistrate (first class) and special judge for MP/MLA cases.
Advocate Milind Pawar, representing Gandhi, said soon after his client appeared before the court, they moved a bail application.
The judge allowed the plea and granted bail to the former Congress president on a surety bond of Rs 25000, he informed.
The advocate said the court also granted permanent exemption to the Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli from appearing before it.
The case was filed on a complaint by V D Savarkar's grandnephew Satyaki, who alleged Gandhi had made defamatory remarks against the Hindutva icon at a programme he attended in London in March 2023.
Earlier, advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Satyaki Savarkar, objected to Gandhi's application seeking virtual appearance.
There was no provision that allows an accused to appear in court through video conferencing before securing bail, Kolhatkar argued.
The court, however, permitted Gandhi to attend the proceedings online.
Wearing a bottle green sweater, the Congress MP appeared before the court and stated his name when the judge asked for it.
The matter will be next heard on February 18.
As per the complaint, Gandhi, while speaking at the London event, stated that Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy.
According to the complaint, the freedom fighter had not written this anywhere and the Congress leader's remarks were aimed at defaming him.
At the time, the court had asked the Pune police to investigate the allegations and file a report.
The Vishrambaug police, after an inquiry, submitted that there was prima facie truth in the complaint.
Gandhi had skipped the previous court appearance on December 2 citing the winter session of Parliament which he was attending.
His lawyer Pawar had then assured that the opposition parliamentarian will appear in the court on January 10.
