Delhi Police make Dutch fans surrender Euro coins as a security measure at the Kotla
"Those (Euro) coins are worth R 85,000," said a Dutch fan to a policeman as he tried to make his way to watch yesterday's West Indies vs Netherlands game at the Kotla.
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| Dutch fans at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi yesterday.
Pic/Imtiyaz Khan |
He and his partner couldn't understand why they were made to surrender their Euro coins at the gate even as the policeman put it down to a security measure.
The Dutch couple was seen fighting with the cops, pleading their innocence, and unawareness that they couldn't carry coins.
Last week, this correspondent too had to surrender 12 South African rands in coins, worth about 70 rupees during the South Africa-West Indies fixture in Delhi.
The men at the gate were firm about not returning them. When asked the reason, they said: "Who knows where we will be after the game? There is no guarantee."
Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) Sports Secretary, Sunil Dev, said the issue had already been addressed with the cops, but without any luck. "They (Delhi Police) say that carrying coins in a security hazard. They feel that spectators can hurt cricketers by flicking coins onto the park. This logic absolutely baffles not only me, but all my colleagues at the DDCA," Dev told MiD DAY.
"We have requested the cops to stop snatching coins, especially foreign currency, but there's no use telling them anything.
"Our hands are totally tied. It is hard to understand how a few coins could cause a security issue. I hope this issue is made public, because there's a big India game here on March 9, and we don't want to upset any fans. My request to them ufffd please don't carry coins".
Sarcastic
When asked why only Delhi cops are following the procedure, a rather sarcastic Dev said: "That's because they are Delhi cops, and feel they can do anything and get away with it."
Police Constable, Karnail Singh, who was seen arguing with the couple, confirmed that they left the ground. "We cannot allow anyone inside with coins, it is a simple rule. We won't tolerate this again. Also, we cannot change the rules just because they are foreigners.
"The rule remains the same. After fighting with us for about 20 minutes, they decided to leave the ground. It's not our fault," he said.
Another Dutch spectator, Greg Bakker, said he left all his Euros back in the hotel fearing this sort of an incident. "I read an advisory from Delhi Police in the newspaper on Sunday. That's why I left all my coins in the locker of my hotel. I was lucky to have been aware of this," said the fan.
