Former India cricketer and Vadodara resident Jacob Martin has been acquitted by the Patiala House Court in a 22-year-old criminal case linked to a 2004 FIR.
The case involved charges under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC, along with Section 12 of the Passport Act. The allegations against Martin were related to a forged UK immigration stamp, travel arrangements and financial transactions.
However, the prosecution could not establish the allegations against him. The court also noted that there was no credible evidence to prove any financial transactions involving Martin or his ownership or control of Ajwa Sports Club. Several witnesses also failed to support the allegations made in the case.
Following his acquittal, Martin spoke to the media and explained how the case had affected his life over the past 22 years.
Martin breaks silence after getting clean chit
Martin said the case began after a member of his 2004 team overstayed his UK visa and later returned to India with a fake immigration stamp. He claimed that his name was added during the investigation even though he was not named in the original FIR.
“In 2004 a team of mine had gone, which had gone to the UK to play. That team which went to play in England in 2004, everyone came back except one boy who stayed back in the UK. Because the visa had a validity of 6 months, he could stay for 6 months, but he overstayed for more than 6 months, so what happened was that he got fake stamping done there through someone. After getting fake stamping done, when he came back to India, he was deported from the UK, so he was caught at the IGI airport, and then he was questioned,” Martin said.
Martin further said that his profile as an international cricketer played a role in his name being brought into the case. He also spoke about the personal and professional impact of the long-running case, including losing his job with the Railways.
“My name was not even in the FIR, but when the investigation took place, I was involved in this case because the name was big and I was an international cricketer, because of that. And after the case ended, this… now, after 22 years… during these 22 years, I was not getting any answers from the BCCI either; I lost my job in the railways. So I had a lot of stress because of this, but this judgment that has come now- I have got a clean chit; it will be a big settlement for my life and very… after 22 years, this… appeal I have received is a very big U-turn for my life,” he added.
Martin, a right-handed batter, represented India in 10 ODIs and scored 158 runs at an average of 22.57.