Abishek Porel arrested: Delhi Capitals star held in sexual assault case after HC order
PTC Web Desk: Bengal and Delhi Capitals cricketer Abishek Porel has been arrested in connection with a rape case filed against him by a medical student. The police picked him up from Emami City in the Dum Dum area, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The arrest comes weeks after the Calcutta High Court directed the police to take Porel into custody without further delay.
According to Hooghly Rural Police Superintendent Kunwar Bhushan Singh, Porel was arrested from the Dum Dum police station's jurisdiction. He was traced to Emami City, a residential complex in the area.
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The case dates back to June, when the complainant approached the Mogra police station in Hooghly district with her mother and filed a formal complaint. She accused Porel of rape, criminal intimidation and other serious offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
In her complaint, the woman said she and Porel had been in a relationship for about three years. She alleged that he had physical relations with her on the promise of marriage, but backed out of that promise once problems developed between them last year. She also accused him of assault and intimidation during the course of their relationship.
The police had said at the time that an investigation was underway based on her complaint.
When the police did not arrest Porel for weeks after the FIR was filed, the matter reached the Calcutta High Court. Justice Saugata Bhattacharya heard the case and ordered the police to arrest Porel without delay. The court also directed authorities to seize his electronic devices, citing concerns that private material belonging to the complainant could be misused or shared further.
The court asked for a detailed progress report from the investigating team and the case was listed for a follow-up hearing.
Porel has repeatedly denied the allegations since they first surfaced. Speaking to reporters earlier, he said he would address the matter once the police began their investigation and that he had not yet been contacted by them at the time.
Porel, a left-handed top-order batter, has played for Delhi Capitals in the IPL since 2023. In the most recent season, he scored 108 runs across four innings for the franchise. On the domestic front, he made his first-class debut for Bengal in the 2021-22 season and has since featured in 32 first-class matches and 23 List A games for the state side.
Neither Delhi Capitals nor the Cricket Association of Bengal has issued an official statement on the arrest so far.
- With inputs from agencies
