Australian Cricketer Sexually Harassed in Indore Ahead of Women’s World Cup Match; One Arrested

Bhopal, October 25: An Australian woman cricketer was allegedly sexually harassed by a 30-year-old man in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday night, just a day before the Women’s World Cup match scheduled at the Holkar Stadium.

According to the police, the accused — identified as Aqueel Khan, a resident of Azad Nagar — was arrested on Friday evening following a swift investigation. The complaint was lodged by security officer Danny Simmons at the MIG Road police station.

The incident took place when the cricketer and her teammate were returning to Hotel Radisson Blu from a nearby café. Khan, wearing a white shirt and black cap, reportedly followed them on a motorbike and inappropriately touched one of the players before fleeing the scene.

The player immediately messaged Simmons and shared her live location. Indian security officials acted promptly, dispatching a car to safely escort both cricketers back to their hotel.

Police formed a joint team from five police stations and tracked the accused using CCTV footage from the area. Officials confirmed that Khan has a criminal background. He has been booked under sections 74 (outraging the modesty of a woman) and 78 (stalking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The Women’s World Cup match in Indore — the fifth of the tournament — is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Holkar Cricket Stadium under heightened security arrangements.