NEW DELHI: Aqeel Khan, the 30-year-old man arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two members of the Australian women’s cricket team in Indore, initially told police that he only wanted to take a selfie with the players. However, he later admitted to following and molesting them after spotting them while returning home.
Investigations revealed that on the morning of the alleged assault, Aqeel had gone to Sathya Sai Square to drop off his father. On his way back, he noticed the players walking from Robot Square toward Khajrana. He first passed them, then took a U-turn, approached them again, and allegedly molested them before fleeing on a motorcycle that had no registration number.MIG police tracked down Aqeel using technical surveillance and intelligence inputs and arrested him. “Initially, he maintained that he only wanted a selfie, but later admitted to following and molesting the players,” said additional DCP Rajesh Dandotiya. On Sunday, Aqeel was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody for 15 days.
The shocking incident, which involved two Australian women cricketers participating in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, has raised concerns about India’s image as a safe sporting destination — especially with the country preparing to host the Commonwealth Games and other major international events in 2030.The assault took place on Thursday, just two days before Australia’s top-of-the-table clash against South Africa. In a statement, Cricket Australia confirmed: “CA can confirm two members of the Australian Women’s team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a cafe in Indore. The matter was reported by team security to police who are handling the matter.”
