First it was the sting operation that exposed the demons of spot fixing rampant in Indian cricket and later the spat between King ‘Shah Rukh’ Khan further left IPL red faced. And if that was not to be, the alleged molestation of an American girl by IPL player Luke Pomersbach has put BCCI and the IPL on a back-foot.
“Stung by a spot-fixing TV expose on Monday and left red-faced by the Shah Rukh Khan spat on Wednesday, IPL’s week of ignominy was complete when Team Bangalore’s Aussie recruit Luke Pomersbach was arrested in Delhi on Friday for allegedly molesting an American woman and beating up her Indian fiance in their suite after a late night party to celebrate the team’s victory against Delhi the previous evening,” writes The Times Of India.
The 28-year-old American alleged that Pomersbach, 27, who had met the couple at the party, came to their room and molested her in Peerzada’s presence. Pomersbach told the cops he had accompanied the couple on their invitation and was beaten up by them.
Pomersbach, who has not played a single game for RCB this season, was arrested, and later released on bail, says a report in The Indian Express. A case has been registered against him under various sections of IPC including section 354 of IPC (outraging modesty of woman), 323 (hurt), 454 (lurking house trespass) and 511 (Punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment).
"(I am) shocked to be in this position. I can't believe this is happening and I'm really disappointed when people make things up," Pomersbach was quoted as saying by The Weekend Australian newspaper.
Meanwhile according to a report in the DNA, an eyewitness, who was partying with the RCB till 3.30am, said nothing unusual or suspicious happened during the party which could have hinted at what was about to come. “The players and other invitees were partying like always. This woman was also dancing with the players,” the eyewitness said, adding: “I only noticed her towards the end when she apparently left the party with a few players by her side. I don't know what happened after some or one of those players went to her room. But there was a lot of bonhomie and cheer when they left.”
Pomersbach has been suspended by the IPL franchise for the rest of the tournament.
Later in the day, a tweet from RCB director Siddharth Mallya on the micro-blogging site Twitter added to the controversy.
Mallya claimed that the woman had tried to approach him in a bid to seek “15 minutes of fame". However, an outrage over the comment forced Mallya to issue a clarification stating that he had not intended to make any “sexist remarks” and was only stating the facts.
