The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has strongly condemned the molestation of two members of the Australian women’s cricket team in Indore, describing the incident as “deeply unfortunate” and one that “brings disrepute” to the sport and the country.
“It is a very unfortunate incident. This type of incident brings disrepute,” said BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia in an official statement. “We appreciate the Madhya Pradesh Police for their prompt action in nabbing the culprit. Let the law take its course to punish the offender,” he added.
The incident occurred on Thursday morning when two Australian cricketers, currently in India for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, stepped out of their hotel and were walking towards a nearby café along Khajrana Road in Indore.
According to Sub-Inspector Nidhi Raghuvanshi, a man on a motorcycle began following the players and allegedly touched one of them inappropriately before fleeing the scene.
The players immediately reported the incident to their team’s security officer, Danny Simmons, who coordinated with local security officials and arranged transportation back to the hotel. Following the complaint, Assistant Commissioner of Police Himani Mishra met the players, recorded their statements, and launched legal proceedings.
An FIR was filed at the MIG Police Station under Sections 74 (use of criminal force to outrage a woman’s modesty) and 78 (stalking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said that a bystander had noted the motorcycle’s registration number, enabling them to swiftly trace and arrest the accused, identified as Akil Khan, on Friday. Khan was reportedly injured while attempting to evade arrest. “He has prior criminal cases registered against him, and further investigation into the incident is underway,” a police official confirmed.
