Man charged after two Australian cricketers stalked, ‘touched inappropriately’ in India, CA says

Two players in Australia’s World Cup squad were allegedly stalked and touched inappropriately while in India for the women’s ODI cricket tournament.

Cricket Australia confirmed on Saturday night the incident had been raised with police after the pair were followed by a man on a motorbike while walking to a cafe in Indore on Thursday.

“CA can confirm two members of the Australian women’s team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a cafe in Indore,” a Cricket Australia spokesman said on Saturday night.

“The matter was reported by team security to police, who are handling the matter.”

Indore’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya said a man named Akil (initially identified as Aqueel) had been arrested and charged under sections 74 and 78 of the criminal code that deals with assault or using criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty, and stalking.

The man was later reportedly identified as Akil Khan by The Times of India, The Economic Times and ANI newswire on Sunday morning AEDT.

“Khan has prior criminal cases registered against him, and an investigation is on in the case,” Indore police told The Economic Times.

The incident triggered condemnation from political leaders in India who have grappled with years of protests over claims that they are not doing enough to protect women from sexual violence and harassment.

India’s state minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said: “This is not just misbehaviour with a woman player, but a stain on India’s image.”

Indore police escorted a heavily bandaged Khan in front of TV cameras after he was arrested on Saturday night.

Madhya Pradesh MP Rameshwar Sharma said the local government was taking the incident seriously.

“The accused has been caught and imprisoned,” he said. “We are trying to crush such criminals.”

The cricket association of Madhya Pradesh issued a statement, saying it was “deeply pained and shocked by the disturbing incident of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour”.

“As the host, MPCA extends sincere apologies to the Australian women’s team for this deeply distressing and unfortunate incident.“

The Board of Control for Cricket in India condemned the incident as the World Cup moves into the finals stage from Sunday.

The women’s game has surged in popularity in India and around the world on the back of the Women’s Premier League. Thirty million people watched the opening match this year.

But guaranteeing safety for women remains difficult in a country where 90 per cent of sexual assault cases reported in 2022 were still awaiting resolution last year, according to a report by the non-profit Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said it was “a very condemnable but stray incident”.

“We appreciate the State Police for their prompt action to nab the culprit,” he said. “Let the law take its course to punish the culprit. We assure to revisit our safety protocols if required to further tighten the security.”

Cricket Australia was contacted for comment on whether security arrangements had been updated.

The Australian team has spent large parts of this tournament in Indore, and Saturday’s clash with South Africa was their third game at Holkar Stadium.

Players will leave the city on Sunday. A semi-final is set down for either Mumbai or Guwahati.

With AAP

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