Rahul's father terms Mumbai police disclosure a 'conspiracy'

A day after Mumbai police claimed that Indian cricketer Rahul Sharma had tested positive for a drug test he underwent in May this year, the father of the leg-spinner termed the police's disclosure as a "conspiracy to ruin his son's career". Rahul's coach Devinder Arora, too, put his weight behind the cricketer.

A day after Mumbai police claimed that Indian cricketer Rahul Sharma had tested positive for a drug test he underwent in May this year, the father of the leg-spinner termed the police's disclosure as a "conspiracy to ruin his son's career".

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"My son does not even drink beer, consuming drugs is out of the question," Pardeep Sharma, who is a Punjab police assistant-sub inspector, said.

Rahul's coach Devinder Arora, too, put his weight behind the cricketer. "I don't believe it. I have known him for more than five years and I know he does not take drugs. He has not even smoked a cigarette," he said. Rahul Sharma, who is on a tour with the star-studded Indian cricket team to Sri Lanka, was among the 90 youngsters who had undergone a dope test following a police raid at a rave party in Mumbai on May 20 this year.

"When Rahul came back from Mumbai, I had a marathon talk with him. He claimed that he did not even drink water at the party," Sharma said, expressing full faith in his son, who he claimed cannot dare to take such a "wrong step". Following the drug test in May, Rahul Sharma had said that he would leave cricket if his test came out positive. The cricketer had said he had attended the party at the nightclub in Mumbai's Juhu area on an invitation.

Sharma, who is on a maiden tour to Sri Lanka, received the news of him testing positive for drugs on the eve of his international debut, which he did not play.

Following the news, Rahul's Punjab Ranji team coach Vikram Rathore, a former international play, too expressed shock. "It's hard for me to believe. Knowing Rahul, who doesn't even drink beer, it's surprising," Rathore had said on Friday. Punjab Cricket Association also did not comment on the issue. "It is premature to talk about anything right now. Let the papers come to us, we will decide and take appropriate action," PCA secretary MP Pandove said.