A day after the Madhya Pradesh police arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly stalking and sexually harassing two cricketers from the Australian women’s team in Indore, Kailash Vijayvargiya, the minister for Urban Development and Housing as well as Parliamentary Affairs in the state, has said that the incident is a “lesson (sabak)” for the authorities as well as the players, who ought to have informed the security or local administration before stepping out.
“Whenever a player steps out, just like when we step out, we tell a local. The players will also realise that in the future, if we step out, then we should tell the security or local administration (Khiladoyon ko bhi iss se dhyaan mein aayega ki bhavishya mein kabhi bhi apna sthaan chodein, toh humari security, local administration ko bata ke niklein). Because there’s a craze for cricket here, like there is for football in England. I have seen football players having their clothes torn… So sometimes players don’t realise their own popularity. Players are very popular, so they must take care whenever they step out. This incident is a lesson for all – a lesson for us and for the players (Ye ghatna ho gayi ye sabke sabak ke liye hai, humare sabak ke liye aur khiladoyon ke sabak ke liye bhi hai),” he told local media.
The Congress hit out at Vijayvargiya’s statement, calling it “unfortunate and utterly disgusting”.
“This incident has already tarnished the image of Madhya Pradesh and the country at the international level; it has left a deep stain. Instead of fixing the deteriorating law-and-order situation and the weak administrative system, Kailash Vijayvargiya’s remarks reflect his mindset and the mindset of those in power in the government,” senior Congress leader Arun Yadav said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Vijayvargiya later said, “This is a shameful incident, and strict action has been taken. Maximum provisions under the law have been applied, and the police investigation is underway. Whenever anyone goes outside, their security officer should be informed. Even their own security officers were not aware, despite being on the hotel premises. These are famous players, loved by the public, and sometimes people approach them unexpectedly. They should pay attention to their personal security.”
“We have examined all aspects of the incident and also questioned their security personnel. I spoke to the police officers in charge of the security, and we have all taken lessons from this episode to ensure this never happens in the future,” he said.
The players were staying at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Indore. According to police, the incident occurred in the Khajrana Road area on Thursday morning. The two cricketers stepped out of their hotel and were walking towards a cafe when the man started following them on his motorcycle, allegedly touched one of them inappropriately, and rode off, police said.
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According to police, the team’s security manager, Danny Simmons, lodged a complaint after receiving a distress alert from one of the players. According to police, the accused, identified as Aqeel alias Naitra, a 29-year-old serial offender from Khajrana, was arrested within hours of the complaint.
