The Indian cricket team touring Zimbabwe was embroiled in a controversy with local media reports stating that an unnamed Indian cricketer was arrested on Friday after being accused of rape by a woman.
However, the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi denied reports of the arrest. Sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) clarified to newindianexpress.com that an Indian indeed was arrested, and that he is a person involved in promotional events. Sources in BCCI and Zimbabwe said none of the players, support staff, BCCI officials on tour has been arrested.
According to a New Zimbabwe report, the incident took place at Meikles hotel where the Indian team is staying. While the report said it was a cricketer who was accused of the rape of a woman, Charity Charamba, assistant police commissioner confirmed that an Indian national was involved in the crime.
“The victim has pointed an Indian national from the batch that came in last week. At this point I’m not in the position to reveal whether it’s a player or official as I’m bound by law. But, what I can confirm is that the accused appeared in court on Saturday,” Charamba said.
Media reports said the victim who was taking a stroll in the lobby of the hotel and was allegedly drugged and physically abused. The victim claimed that she woke up with bloodied undergarments in one of the Indian cricketer’s rooms. “She also said she had no clue on how she reached the room,” one report said.
“We have concluded our investigation, but both the police and courts have to handle the issue with care as it can lead to a potential diplomatic feud,” Charamba added.
India is touring Zimbabwe, where they whitewashed them in the ODI series. However, they lost the T20 match against them yesterday by 2 runs.