IPL molestation: Pomersbach has not confessed, says lawyer

Counsel of Luke Pomersbach, the Australian player of IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), on Monday denied that the cricketer had confessed to police of having inadvertently touched or molested US citizen Zohail Hameed.

Lawyer Neeraj Chaudhry told IANS that his client did not make any confession to police or anyone that he had molested the woman in a five-star hotel.

"It was all a rumour. Luke did not make any such confession. His case is pending in court. So, he will only tell court if he needs to say anything,” said Chaudhry.

Additional Commissioner of Police KC Dwivedi said that Pomersbach did not confess to police that he had inadvertently touched or molested the Hameed under the influence of alcohol.

Dwivedi said another IPL cricketer KP Appanna, who has also cropped up in the case as he was caught in CCTV footage while accompanying Pomersbach in the corridor of Maurya Sheraton where the incident took place, told police that his presence at the time of the incident was a coincidence.

"He was not accompanying Pomersbach,” said Dwivedi on the basis of Appanna's statement to police.

"Appanna's name came to light after he was seen in CCTV footage recovered from Maurya Sheraton hotel where the American woman was molested during a party," said the officer.

Police questioned Appanna, a leg spinner who plays for Karnataka in Ranji Trophy, during the day Monday.

Pomersbach was arrested Friday after Hameed alleged that he molested her and hit her friend Sahil Peerzada when he objected to the cricketer's behaviour. Peerzada was punched in his ear following which he had to undergo a surgery.

The official said that Peerzada, who is a friend of RCB director Sidhartha Mallya, was invited to the post-match party at the hotel Thursday night.

At the time of the incident, Peerzada was present along with Hameed, his friends Moiz and Miraj, and Pomersbach.

Pomersbach allegedly misbehaved with Hameed at the party.

"When she left the party along with Peerzada, she was followed by Pomersbach and Appanna after a few minutes," said a police source.

Appanna had come to ask whether Mallya was there in the room, the source said, adding Hameed had also corroborated this.

The official informed that they had recorded Moiz's statement too.

Hameed had alleged in her complaint to police Friday that five to six members of the IPL team had pressurised her to withdraw the case against Pomersbach.