NEW DELHI: An Australia cricketer playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been booked for attempting to rape a 27-year-old US citizen of Indian origin at a five star hotel here. 27-year-old Australian player Luke Pomersbach has been accused by the victim of trying to rape her in her own hotel bedroom and beating up her fiancé when he tried to intervene. Pomersback, who plays for Bangalore Royal Challengers has been arrested and charged under sections of 354 of the Indian Penal Code (for outraging modesty of woman), 323 (hurt), 454 (lurking, house trespass) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment). The victim in her complaint said that Luke “forced” himself over to her flat for drinks, while she was hosting a do with her fiancé and friends. “When I retired to the bedroom, he slipped inside and tried to rape me. When my fiancé tried to intervene, he hit him badly,” police complaint reads. Reacting to the incident IPL Chairman and Congress member of parliament Rajiv Shukla said that the IPL organizers could not be held responsible for the incident. “Let the law take its course,” Shukla said. Earlier this week, a drunken Shah Rukh Khan, a well known Bollywood actor was involved in a scuffle at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, after he was not allowed to celebrate his team Kolkata Knight Riders win at the venue. Last week an Indian TV news channel had claimed, naming a few cricketers, that matches were being rigged in the tourney.
