A case of cheating has been registered against former India cricketer Shanthakumaran Nair Sreesanth (popularly known as S Sreesanth) and two others, based on a complaint filed by a man in Kannur, north Kerala.

Complainant Sareesh Gopalan has claimed that two men, namely Rajiv Kumar and Venkatesh Kini, took INR 18.70 lakh from him on several dates starting from April 25, 2019, suggesting that they would build a sports academy in Kollur, Karnataka, in which Sreesanth is a partner.

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Gopalan has mentioned in his complaint that he agreed to invest the money as he was offered the opportunity to become a partner in the aforementioned academy.

Sreesanth, Kumar and Kini have been booked under Section 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code. Sreesanth has been named as the third accused in the case.

The former India fast bowler?has played 27 Tests, 53 ODIs and 10 T20Is for the country, picking up 87, 75 and seven wickets respectively.

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Sreesanth was handed a life ban by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in the infamous 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scandal but eventually reduced to seven years. The ban ended in September 2020, and he returned to action in 2021 with the Kerala team, only to retire an year later.