New Delhi:
Luke Pomersbach, the 27-year-old Australian who plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, has been accused of molesting a woman and assaulting her fiance in a Delhi hotel. He says the charges are false. Here are 10 big facts on this case:
1) Mr Pomersbach was arrested on Friday morning by the Delhi Police on charges including "outraging the modesty of a woman". He has been granted interim bail till tomorrow.
2) Before leaving court, Mr Pomersbach told reporters that he is "disappointed with the false charges." The judge has asked for CCTV footage from the hotel.
3) The woman who has accused Mr Pomersbach of molesting her is a US citizen named Zohal Hameed. She broke down in court on Friday. Mr Pomersbach fainted for a few seconds in the court-room.
4) The complainant says her fiance, named Sahil Peerzada, lives in Mumbai and that they met Mr Pomersbach at a party on Thursday night at a five-star hotel in Delhi.
5) Mr Peerzada, according to his fiance, tried to intervene and was attacked by the cricketer. Doctors attending to him at a Delhi hospital say the cartilage in his left ear has been crushed, and he has been operated upon.
See photo of Mr Peerzada here.
6) Ms Hameed says the cricketer insisted on "tagging along" with her fiance and her when they decided to go to their room after the party. He then insisted they have a drink with him. When she refused and tried to exit the room, she says he grabbed her.
7) Hotel staff said they believe the couple invited Mr Pomersbach to their suite.
8) The party followed a match which was won by Mr Pomersbach's team against Delhi Daredevils.
9) Sidhartha Mallya, the Director of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, said to NDTV today that he stands by his tweets on the case. Mr Mallya's tweets included references to meeting Ms Hameed at the party. "She was all over me last night and asked for me BBM pin, so if he was her fiance; she wasn't exactly behaving like a future wife." He also said on Twitter, "If Luke is in the wrong, then trust me he will face the necessary sanctions. But what this girl is doing is idiotic."
10) Sidhartha's father, liquor baron Vijay Mallya, speaking to NDTV said that his son is not a child and can defend himself. He also said that Mr Pomersbach will not play in the ongoing IPL tournament till the inquiry against the player is completed.
(Watch)