Indore/New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) strongly condemned the alleged stalking and molestation of two members of the Australian women’s cricket team in Indore on Saturday. They promised to review and improve safety protocols before the knockout stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup.
Police say that on Thursday morning, the two cricketers were headed toward a café along Khajrana Road when a man on a motorcycle pursued them and allegedly touched one of them improperly before running away. Sub-Inspector Nidhi Raghuvanshi said that the local police later arrested the suspect.
Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the BCCI, said in an official statement that the event was “a very condemnable but stray occurrence.”
“India is known for being friendly and helpful.” We won’t put up with anything like this. Saikia remarked, “We thank the Madhya Pradesh Police for acting quickly to catch the criminal.”
“Let the law do its job and punish the person who did it. “We promise to review our safety procedures if necessary to make security even tighter,” he said.
MPCA is shocked and sorry
The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) released an emotional statement saying how shocked, sad, and supportive they were of the players that were affected.
The statement said, “MPCA is deeply pained and shocked by the disturbing incident of misconduct and inappropriate behavior with two players from the Australian Women’s Cricket Team in Indore.”
“No woman should ever have to go through something like this, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who were affected by this terrible event.”
The MPCA said it was very sorry that one person’s careless behavior has hurt Indore’s reputation as a safe and friendly city. It also said sorry to the Australian team who came to visit for the “deeply distressing and unfortunate incident.”
Response from the police and security
After the event, the Australian players told their team security officer, Danny Simmons, right after. He then worked with local liaison officers to send help.
Himani Mishra, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, met with the players, took their testimonies, and filed a FIR at the MIG Police Station under Sections 74 (using criminal force to affront a woman’s modesty) and 78 (stalking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The MPCA praised the quick work of the Indore police, who found and arrested the suspect within hours.
“The local police and government have always made sure that players are safe during all official movements,” the MPCA said.
“It is important to find out if the players asked for security while they were moving around on their own or if it happened without them asking,” it said.
BCCI will look at security measures again
The BCCI’s choice to look over safety measures comes at a time when people are more worried about player safety during international competitions. Officials said that security rules will be looked at again, especially for unofficial outings during big events.
Indore has hosted many international matches without any problems, and it takes pride in being a safe place for visiting teams to play. The government and cricket officials are now striving to make sure that this kind of thing never happens again. This shows India’s dedication to the safety, dignity, and respect of women athletes.