Sreesanth is 'totally innocent' - lawyer

The lawyer of arrested cricketer Sreesanth has insisted his client is 'totally innocent' and that he will seek bail during the next hearing. On Thursday, a judge had remanded Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals players to five days in police custody after they had been arrested by Delhi police on corruption charges.

"I asked them what is the evidence you have against him, they failed to give any kind of paper against Sreesanth in the court," Sreesanth's lawyer Deepak Prakash said. "Please support Sreesanth, the person is innocent, we are doing a crime right now giving the wrong news about him. I clarified from him, he is never involved in this, he is totally innocent.

"He never talked to any bookie," Prakash said. "No money is received, no telephone call, nothing is established, he is innocent."

Police alleged Sreesanth had promised bookies that he would concede at least 14 runs in his second over against Kings XI Punjab on May 9 in exchange for Rs 40 lakh (US$73,024). The police alleged that Sreesanth made the appropriate signal, which was to ask for a towel that he would tuck inside his trousers before bowling the over. Prakash dismissed the charges. "A person can use a towel in any way, how is this evidence?" he asked. "It is a matter of luck. He can use a towel whenever he wants."

Sreesanth can only apply for bail after his time in police custody, which means he will have to wait at least four more days. The Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar had also suggested that the police could invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, offences under which are non-bailable.