New Delhi: There was a time when star India cricketer Vinod Kambli found himself in trouble after his wife, Andrea Hewitt, filed an FIR against Vinod Kambli with the Bandra Police. Kambli had reportedly come home drunk earlier that week and struck his wife on the head with a cooking pan. Following the incident, Andrea sought medical treatment for her head injuries at a nearby hospital and then went to the Bandra police station on Friday. According to a police official, Kambli was booked under Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons) and Section 504 (insult).
A report in the Times of India, however, quoted Andrea that ‘the matter is now getting sorted out’. The incident took place between 1 and 1.30 pm IST when Kambli entered his Bandra flat allegedly in a drunken state and starting hurling abuses at his wife. Kambli’s 12-year-old son became witness to the whole episode and even tried to calm him down. But an angry Kambli instead went to the kitchen and brought a cooking pan which he threw at Andrea, causing her head injuries.
“Despite trying to pacify him, he abused me and my son for no reason. He charged at us. After hitting the cooking panhandle, he charged again with a bat. I managed to stop him before leaving with my son, and rushed to the hospital,” Andrea has put on record in the FIR.
The security guard of the building where Kambli and his family reside told Zee News that the cricketer was seen leaving his flat with a head injury around 2 pm on the same day. When asked about the injury, Kambli claimed he had gotten into a fight with his neighbour. However, the guard expressed doubts, stating that he believed Kambli was lying, as he would have been informed if such an incident had occurred within the building.
This is not the first time Kambli has made headlines for negative reasons. In 2022, he was booked by the police in two separate drunken driving incidents. Previously, both he and his wife had been charged for allegedly assaulting their maid. Last year, Kambli approached the Mumbai Cricket Association seeking employment, offering to quit drinking if a job was provided. It was also the first time he publicly discussed his financial difficulties, revealing that he and his family were surviving on the Rs 30,000 pension he receives from the BCCI as a former India cricketer.
“There are rules and regulations which everyone has to follow. If there are any rules that don’t allow you to do certain things, everyone must follow them. I will stop it (drinking) immediately if told to do so…no problem at all!,” said Kambli to Mid-Day.
