NEW DELHI - Indian police on Saturday said a motorcyclist who molested two Australian women cricketers in the central state of Madhya Pradesh has been arrested.
The two cricketers from the Australian women's national team were inappropriately touched by a man on Thursday morning in Indore, the largest city in Madhya Pradesh.
The incident occurred while the players were walking to a cafe on Khajrana Road after their team's victory over England.
"Security officers of the Australian (Women's Cricket) Team management filed a complaint that two members of the team faced inappropriate behaviour. An FIR (First Information Report) was registered, and the accused was identified and arrested following an intensive strategic operation," a senior police official in Indore, Rajesh Dandotiya said.
"The accused has been charged under various sections of the new criminal code of India. The incident occurred around 11:00 am (local time) on October 23, when members of the Australian Women's Cricket Team were walking towards a cafe from their hotel. We are examining if there were any shortfalls in the security protocols."
The accused reportedly followed the players on a bike before inappropriately touching one of them and fleeing the scene.
Following the incident, the terrified players immediately sent an emergency message and live location to their team's security officer, Danny Simmons.
"I was reading their message when one of the players called me, crying. She told me what had happened. We immediately dispatched a car and brought them safely to the hotel," Simmons was quoted in the media as having said.
Reports said a bystander noted the suspect's bike number, which later helped police track him down through closed-circuit television camera footage.
The visiting Australian Women's Cricket Team in India is competing in the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup.
"We 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. The matter was reported by team security to police who are handling the matter," Cricket Australia said in a statement to the media.
Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the national governing body of cricket in India, described the incident as "very condemnable" and vowed to "revisit our safety protocols if required."
"This is a deeply regrettable and isolated incident. India has always been known for its warmth, hospitality and care towards all guests. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards such acts. We appreciate the swift and effective action taken by the Madhya Pradesh Police in apprehending the accused. The law will take its due course to ensure justice is served," Saikia said. "We will also review our existing safety protocols and strengthen them further, if necessary, to ensure such incidents are not repeated."
