IPL chief distances from Pomersbach's molestation case

The IPL on Friday distanced itself from the molestation case involving Royal Challengers Bangalore player Luke Pomersbach here with its chief Rajiv Shukla saying that it was "an individual misbehaviour of an individual player".

"There were no official parties in IPL 4 and 5. So the incident was not connected with an official IPL party. It was an individual misbehaviour of an individual player," he told reporters.

"We have done away with official parties. So if some individual player does something in his individual capacity in a hotel, IPL has nothing to do with it," he added.

Asked what the IPL or the Cricket Board do now as the player has now been arrested by the Delhi police, Shukla said,

"Let the police deal with with it first, do their business. It is a police case and we will wait for the police report."

Pomersbach was on Friday arrested on charges of molesting an Indian American woman and severely attacking her fiancee leaving him in hospital.

The Australian player allegedly misbehaved with the woman, a US citizen of Indian origin, at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel here last night after RCB's IPL match against Delhi Daredevils and has been arrested, police 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 511 (Punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment).

The woman said the player 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 Pomersbach followed her and misbehaved with her, she alleged.

When her fiancee intervened, Luke allegedly beat him up, she said. 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.

Pomersbach, who made his international debut when he was called into Australia's Twenty20 side in Perth in December 2007, has a history of misbahaviour under the influence of alcohol.

In 2009, after two hit-and-run incidents, Pomersbach was arrested and charged by police for driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of permissible limits, failing to stop and accompany police and escaping legal custody.

He pleaded guilty and was fined and had his driver's licence cancelled. The Western Australian Cricket Association suspended him indefinitely. He returned from his ban in January 2010.

Pomersbach also played for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL in 2008-09 season and made 152 in five innings, only once being dismissed.

Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Kirti Azad launched a scathing attack on the IPL, which he termed as a "heady mix of intoxication and entertainment."

He said he would go for a fast at the Feroz Shah Kotla from May 20 in protest against the mess going on in the IPL and the failure by Delhi Police to respond to his presentations to act against the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament.

"So many things are happening in the IPL. Players were claiming that they got money in black more than what they actually got from their contracts. One person want to go to the ground without proper accreditation and that led to a brawl and now this case of molestation," he said.

"Only rape is left to happen and they may come also. This player will not be punished. Foreigners know nothing will happen to them if they do something wrong in this country," he said.

"I am going on fast from Sunday at Kotla and I have former cricketers going to join me in that. Other people from other walks of life will also join," he added.