RCB player held for molestation, gets bail

Indian Premier League (IPL) player Luke Pomersbach was arrested on Friday for allegedly molesting an American woman. He was however, later granted bail by a Delhi court.

The Australian player from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team is alleged to have molested the woman at the ITC Maurya hotel here. Her fiance was beaten up by the player when he tried to stop him, police said.

Pomersbach allegedly misbehaved with the woman, a US citizen of Indian origin, at the IPL
party in the Maurya Sheraton Hotel, police said today.

An argument soon broke out between the two sides and Pomersbach allegedly beat up the woman's fiancee, they said.

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 51 (Punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment).

The woman's fiancee has been admitted to a hospital. The woman claimed that pressure is being mounted on her to withdraw the case but she will not do so.

IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla said the IPL had nothing to with this because the incident did not take place in any party organised by it.

BJP MP and former cricketer Kirti Azad alleged that the IPL "has given rise to many unsavoury things.Today's attempt to rape is one such".

The IPL was rocked by controversy only yesterday when Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan faced the prospect of being banned from the Wankhede Stadium after an alleged scuffle with Mumbai Cricket Association officials.