Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla has expressed his displeasure over the “unfortunate” incident in which two Australian women cricketers participating in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup were chased and molested by a man on a motorcycle in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore. The incident occurred on Thursday, two days before Australia’s top-of-the-table match against South Africa in the tournament.
The Australian team has been in Indore for a week. They played England on Wednesday, the day before the incident happened. Australia will face South Africa on Thursday before traveling to either Guwahati or Mumbai, depending on their semi-final match.
Expressing his displeasure over the entire episode, Rajeev Shukla praised the state police for their quick response and said, “It is an unfortunate incident; such things should never happen. The accused has already been arrested. No conviction is enough for this incident. The police are investigating and the BCCI will do what is required from our end,” Rajev-BC Shukla told India Today.
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar also strongly condemned the heinous incident involving two Australian women cricketers who were allegedly molested in Indore. Expressing deep disappointment, Gavaskar said such behavior was against Indian cultural ethos and values.
“Yes, I think because we are famous Atithi Devo Bhava, it is very, very sad to hear about it. It is undoubtedly a heinous incident. The law will certainly be developed, but I hope that the culprit will be severely punished – you lock him up and throw away the keys. That’s the only way, I think. Just lock him up and throw away the keys,” he told India Sun.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia also thanked the police for their swift action. “It is a very unfortunate incident. This type of incident brings a bad name. We appreciate the (Madhya Pradesh) state police for their swift action to nab the culprit. Let the law punish the culprit,” Saikia was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
According to the Madhya Pradesh Police, while two cricketers were stalked, one of them molested by a man identified as Aqeel Khan. The incident took place on Thursday morning in the Khajrana Road area when the players were heading to the cafe from the Radisson Blu Hotel. Sub-inspector Nidhi Raghuvanshi told the media that the two cricketers got out of their hotel and were walking towards a cafe when a man on a motorcycle started following them. He allegedly touched one of them inappropriately before fleeing the scene.
The players immediately contacted their team security officer, Danny Simmons, who coordinated with local security liaison officers and dispatched a vehicle to assist. On receiving the information, Deputy Commissioner of Police Himani Mishra met both the players, recorded their statements and registered a First Information Report under Section 74 (use of criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman) and Section 78 (harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the MIG police station.
Officials said a bystander spotted the registration plate of the suspect’s motorcycle, which led to the arrest of accused Aqeel Khan. “Khan already has criminal cases registered against him and the case is under investigation,” added officer Raghuvanshi.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
October 25, 2025
