Indore: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has strongly denounced an incident in Indore involving two Australian women cricketers who were allegedly stalked and harassed.

In an official statement, BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia described the incident as “deeply regrettable and isolated,” stressing that India is known for its warmth, hospitality, and respect toward all visitors. Saikia reaffirmed that the BCCI follows a “zero-tolerance policy towards such acts” and commended the Madhya Pradesh Police for their swift response in apprehending the suspect.

“The law will take its due course to ensure justice is served,” Saikia said, adding that the BCCI will review and reinforce its existing safety measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

According to police officer Rajesh Dandotiya, the incident took place on Thursday morning when the two players left their hotel to visit a café. A 30-year-old man with a criminal background allegedly followed and inappropriately touched one of the players about 800 metres from their hotel.

“After receiving a complaint from the Australian team’s security, we registered a case and identified the accused within six hours,” Dandotiya said.

Indian police have arrested the suspect, and the investigation is ongoing.

Cricket Australia confirmed the incident in a brief statement: “The matter was reported by team security to police, who are handling the matter.”

Violence against women continues to be a serious issue in India, where nearly 90 cases of rape are reported daily, according to 2022 data.