Was not aware of the local timings and Covid-19 protocols: Suresh Raina reacts after arrest in Mumbai

Mumbai, December 22: Former India batsman Suresh Raina - who was arrested on Tuesday (December 22) by police for violating Covid-19 protocols - has released an official statement on about the same and tendered an apology.

Thirty-four persons including cricketer Suresh Raina and Bollywood celebrity Sussanne Khan, former wife of actor Hrithik Roshan, were arrested after a raid at Dragonfly club near the Mumbai airport on Tuesday for violating social distancing norms, police said.

Those arrested in the raid at the Dragonfly Experience club near the Mumbai international airport included 13 women and seven staffers of the club, police said. The women were allowed to leave after being served notices while the men were shown as arrested and granted bail later, police said. The police said the cricketer was booked under IPC Section 188. 269 and 34, provisions of NMDA and were brought to the Sahar police station.

Suresh Raina arrested during a raid in Mumbai club | Know the details

The Dragonfly pub too has been asked to furnish details after the owners kept it open beyond the permissible time limit and disregarding the Covid 19 standard operating procedures."

Party (Nahin) Chalegi Till Six In The Morning! A raid was conducted at a nightclub in Andheri at around 3 am, for flouting COVID prevention norms. Action has been initiated against 34 people, out of which 19 were from Delhi & Punjab, including some celebrities #NewNormal," Mumbai Police tweeted.

The raid was conducted after the club establishment remained open beyond the permissible time limit and did not adhere to coronavirus norms, police said.

Raina's team management came up with a response over the controversy and tendered an apology on behalf of the cricketer and assured the left-handed batsman always complies with the rules laid out by the authorities.

A communique from the UP cricketer's side was quoted as saying, "Suresh was in Mumbai for a shoot which extended to late hours and was invited by a friend for a quick dinner post the same prior to him taking his flight back to Delhi. He was not aware of the local timings and protocols. Once pointed out, he immediately complied with the procedures laid out by the authorities and regrets the unfortunate and unintentional incident. He always holds rules and laws laid down by governing bodies with the highest regard and will continue to do so in the future as well."

Raina had retired from cricket earlier this year along with former Indian skipper MS Dhoni. Raina had also courted controversy when he returned from Chennai Super Kings' pre-IPL camp and quarantine in the UAE ahead of the IPL 2020.