In a sensational claim, noted Malayalam singer Madhu Balakrishnan today said his brother-in-law and cricketer S Sreesanth survived a murder attempt in Tihar jail where he was lodged in connection with the IPL spot fixing scam in 2013.
"There was an attempt to kill Sree in Tihar jail. ...A dada...a goon...who was a murder accused...tried to hit him with a weapon that he made by sharpening a door's bolt...Luckily he escaped unhurt," Balakrishnan told a Malayalam TV channel.
Balakrishnan, who is married to the elder sister of Sreesanth, claimed the cricketer faced bitter experiences in Tihar jail and he still has not fully recovered from that mental shock.
The singer said no complaint was filed by Sreesanth or his family with the police in this connection as it was an incident that happened inside jail.
He said Sreesanth revealed these traumatising experience to the family members after coming out from jail.
Replying to a question, Balakrishnan said he and his family still believe that Sreesanth was a victim of "personal feud" and that may be one of the reasons for such experiences in Tihar jail.
He alleged that many players in the Indian cricket team "are the culprits" in the IPL spot fixing scam but their names were not revealed.
"Sree was arrested and tortured only on the basis of some doubts. That still remains as a question mark. That has to be found out," Balakrishnan said about the cricketer who was arrested in Mumbai in 2013 by Delhi Police for his alleged involvement in the IPL spot fixing scam.
Sreesanth was playing for Rajasthan Royals when he was arrested.
Despite efforts, Sreesanth, who is based in Kochi, could not be reached for his comments.