Delhi police have registered a FIR against Pomersbach and the cricketer has been charged under Section 354 and 323.
There seems to be no end to controversies in the ongoing fifth season of the Indian Premier League. If the alleged spot-fixing and graft scandal and the scuffle between Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh and security personnel of Mumbai Cricket Association wasn't bad enough; Royal Challengers Bangalore player Luke Pomersbach has been arrested after being accused of assaulting a US citizen of Indian origin, at a Delhi five-star hotel yesterday night.
The incident is alleged to have taken place at a post IPL party at Maurya Sheraton Hotel after RCB had defeated Delhi Daredevils by 21 runs to keep their hopes alive in IPL-5.
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 511 (Punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment).
The victim has sought help from the Indian government, and has alleged she is being threatened by 'an IPL team to drop charges' against Pomersbach. "Five-six threatened to kill me unless I backtracked my word," she told reporters. She added the hotel didn't provide any medical help to her or her fiance.
According to PTI reports earlier in the day, the woman said Pomersbach invited himself for some drinks with the couple and some common friends from Mumbai in their room. She left the men alone and went to her bedroom for catching some sleep but Luke followed her and misbehaved with her, she alleged. When her fiancee intervened, Luke allegedly beat him up, she said.
"He (fiancee) is a nice guy and he did not want to say No. He just said fine, but....," she said.
"He (Luke) was giving me dirty, nasty looks so I went into the bedroom. He suddenly held my hand and tried to kiss me and grab me," she said. “When my fiance objected, he started to beat him up and my fiance was bleeding.”
The woman said, "I come here often to visit my friends and my fiancee....I was here to see him. I was hanging out with him. He lives in Mumbai," she said.
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The woman claimed that pressure is being mounted on her to withdraw the case but she will not do so.
FIANCE ATTACKED
Talking about her ordeal, the victim told Times Now that Pomersbach gave her nasty looks and attempted to molest her. She said Pomersbach's assault on her fiance led to him bleeding profusely, adding her fiance was beaten up while trying to protect her. The victim and her fiance have been admitted to a private hospital for check-ups.
Her fiance Sahil Peerzada, who is in his 30s, has been admitted to Primus hospital in the diplomatic area of the national capital, police said.
Pomersbach was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital for a medical checkup and would be produced in the Patiala House court later in the day.
Doctors attending to Peerzada said that his condition was stable but he may suffer from hearing loss in his left ear.
"His CT scan was normal… the current condition of the patient is stable but he is complaining of loss of hearing in the left ear and it will take some time to find out what the reason is," Primus executive director D.K. Baluja said.
Another doctor, Deep Makkar, said that Peerzada had head injuries and "blood coming out of his ears".
RCB REACTS
Pomersbach's franchise RCB in a statement said, "The Royal Challengers Bangalore regrets the incident involving Luke Pommersbach. We will ensure full co-operation with the concerned authorities so that a fair investigation takes place and the issue is disposed off in accordance with law." "Pending disposal of this matter Luke Pommersbach will not take the field for The Royal Challengers Bangalore," it added.
RCB owner Vijay Mallya told reporters, "The RCB is aware of the incident involving one of our players. RCB will offer full cooperation to the authorities. Till the time he is cleared, Luke Pomersbach will not be part of RCB." Mallya also said Pomersbach should be booked and strict action taken against the player if he is proved guilty.
Meanwhile, IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla told reporters the IPL had nothing to with this because the incident did not take place in any party organised by it. "Let the law take its course," he said.
Cricket Australia spokesperson Peter Young refused to comment on the issue, but said the board would would comment after the probe.
CHEQUERED PAST
This is not Pomersbach's first tryst with the law. Pomersbach, who has played a lone Twenty20 International for Australia against New Zealand in December 2007, has earlier battled depression and drug issues and avoided a jail sentence in Australia after admitting to assaulting a police officer who was trying to arrest him for drink driving. Pomersbach had taken a break from cricket late last year, but said he was on "top of things" when he returned to play for RCB in IPL-5.
In November 2007, Pomersbach was suspended by Western Australia for drinking alcohol following a game against Queensland. On 9 August 2009, after two hit-and-run incidents, Pomersbach was arrested and charged by police with failing to stop, failing to accompany police, driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of .08, assaulting a public officer, obstructing police and escaping legal custody. He later pleaded guilty and was fined and had his driver's licence cancelled.
At the start of IPL-5, Pomersbach admitted he had made mistakes in the past. "Some people deal with these problems better than others. Some people deal with them badly and make the wrong choices in life. Unfortunately, I went down that path and made a few bad decisions. But I've learnt a lot from them and I suppose I've got that experience."
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