BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has strongly condemned the shocking molestation incident involving two Australian women cricketers in Indore. The players were harassed ahead of their Women’s World Cup match against South Africa at the Holkar Cricket Stadium.
According to Cricket Australia (CA), the incident happened on Thursday, October 23, when the players were walking to a café. A man on a motorcycle reportedly “touched them inappropriately” before fleeing the scene.
Accused Arrested, BCCI Promises Strict Action
The accused, identified as Aqeel Khan, was later arrested by the Indore police. He is a resident of Azad Nagar and originally from Khajrana. Police officials confirmed that he has a criminal history.
Reacting to the incident, Devajit Saikia released an official statement on behalf of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He called it an “isolated incident” and assured that the board will take steps to ensure players’ safety in the future.
“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. We will also review our existing safety protocols and strengthen them further, if necessary, to ensure such incidents are not repeated,” Saikia said in the statement.
Saikia added that the BCCI will work with local authorities to strengthen safety measures for visiting teams if required. He emphasized that India has always taken pride in its culture of respect and hospitality toward international guests.
The BCCI also shared Saikia’s statement on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday evening, reaffirming its stance of zero tolerance towards such misconduct.
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Meanwhile, the Australian women’s team recovered from the shocking incident and finished their league stage with a strong performance. They defeated South Africa by seven wickets on Saturday to qualify for the semi-finals.
Australia will now face India in the second semi-final on Thursday, October 30, at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
