The roar of the crowd at Eden Gardens suddenly shifted to a gasp as an unexpected figure dashed onto the field during the Kolkata Knight Riders-Royal Challengers match on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
An 18-year-old fan, Rituparno Pakhira, in a moment of sheer passion, breached security to reach his hero, Virat Kohli.
Following his arrest, Pakhira shared details of his brief but unforgettable exchange with Kohli.
'The moment I touched his feet, Virat Kohli sir asked my name and said, 'Jaldi se bhaag jaa (run away fast)'. He asked the security to not hit me,' Pakhira told The Times of India.
PTI adds: Pakhira, who was arrested for invading the pitch at Eden Gardens during the opening match of the Indian Premier League 2025, was granted conditional bail by the Bankshall Court on Monday.
Granting his bail prayer, Chief Judicial Magistrate Kaustav Mukhopadhyay directed Pakhira to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1,000.
Judge Mukhopadhyay also directed that Pakhira will not be able to enter Eden Gardens or the adjoining areas in Kolkata on IPL match days this season and the police would ensure that he does not obtain a ticket for any of the matches.
After having undergone one day police custody, he was produced before the court on Monday.
Refusing to grant a prayer by the police for further custody of the youth, the court allowed Pakhira's prayer for bail, holding that no incriminating object has been recovered from him and it could not be established that he had any bad intention.
Judge Mukhopadhyay observed that this incident should act as an eye-opener in ensuring foolproof security so that there is no such breach in future.
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