‘Extremely sorry for this incident’: BCCI Secy Devajit Saikia condemns molestation of Australian cricketers in Indore

New Delhi: BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia issued a statement on the Australian cricketers’ molestation case and condemned the “unfortunate event.” Notably, two female Australian cricketers were molested by a motorcyclist in Indore when they were walking to a nearby cafe from their hotel.

The embarrassing act has sparked worldwide outrage. The Australian team, currently in Indore for a key group-stage match against South Africa, is reportedly receiving extra security after the incident. This troubling event has overshadowed what has otherwise been a competitive Women’s World Cup, raising renewed international fears about the safety of women athletes in India.

“This is a very unfortunate event that has taken place. Nobody expected this kind of thing to happen because India is such a hospitable country. This should not have happened with any of the guests of the country. So, we are extremely sorry for this incident, which is an unfortunate one.”

“We are also happy that the police have taken prompt action in nabbing the culprit at the earliest. I hope law will take its course to punish the culprit who has been nabbed. We will also ensure that, although there is already a security ring within all the visiting teams during the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, but we will revamp it and we will ensure that no such things happen in future. We also hope everything will go smoothly for the remaining World Cup games,” Saikia told IANS.

Former India cricketer Reema Malhotra also spoke to IANS and shared her thoughts on the matter, saying: "This is unacceptable and should not happen again, because in India, our simple motto is Athithi Devo Bhava (Guest is God). That should be followed, and I hope that the culprit gets harsh punishment so that no other stupid person dares to repeat this in life. It should set an example for everyone who have similar sick mentality that women should be respected. I felt really bad and sad for what happened, but the bottom line is one has to make sure that it won’t happen again."

Meanwhile, Indore's Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Addl DCP, Crime Branch), Rajesh Dandotiyan, confirmed that the accused, Aqueel, was identified and arrested following an Intensive Strategic Operation.

"The Security officers of the women's Australian Cricket Team filed a complaint that two members of the team faced inappropriate behaviour. An FIR was registered, and the accused was identified and arrested following an Intensive Strategic Operation. The accused Aqueel is a resident of Azadnagar," he said while speaking to ANI.

"He has been charged under sections 74 and 78 of the BNS. The incident occurred around 11 am on October 23, when members of the women's Australian Cricket Team were walking towards a cafe from their hotel. We are examining if there were any shortfalls in the security protocols," he added.

(With inputs from ANI, IANS)