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Australian women’s cricketer Ash Gardner received a police escort for traveling to a cafe after two players of the team were molested in Indore.
Ash Gardner and wife Monica Wright (L) posing with police officers.
(PC: Instagram)
Some members of the Australian women’s cricket team seemed to have found a bit of relief from the horrifying molestation case in Indore.
Monica Wright, the wife of superstar all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, posted a picture of their travel to a cafe on Monday, with two policemen on a bike behind their car. Wright and Gardner offered big smiles to the camera, and so did the officers, with one even offering the peace sign.
Wright captioned it: “Police escort to the cafe”
Gardner put up a photo from the cafe, too, which had Wright digging into a huge chocolate sundae. Gardner captioned it: “Didn’t realize I married a child”.
The team is currently in Navi Mumbai as they prepare for the 2025 Women’s World Cup semi-final against India at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy on Wednesday. At their last location, Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, two players of the team were molested by a local on a walk to a cafe, who has since been arrested.
Although it can’t be ascertained, the BCCI seems to have doubled up on the players’ security. Devajit Saikia, the board secretary, had called it a ‘stray incident’, but promised to revisit safety protocols.
“It is a very condemnable but stray incident. India is known for its hospitality and care. We have zero tolerance for such incidents. We appreciate the State Police (Madhya Pradesh) for their prompt action to nab the culprit,” Saikia said. “Let the law take its course to punish the culprit. We assure to revisit our safety protocols if required to further tighten the security,” he said.
The Madhya Pradesh police is set to invoke the National Security Act (NSA) against the 29-year-old accused, Aqeel Khan, also known as Nitra. The players were reportedly followed, and one was assaulted while heading to a cafe from their hotel.
The Australian team’s security officer, Danny Simmons, alerted local authorities, leading to the quick arrest of the accused after a bystander noted his motorcycle number. Police registered a case under sections 74 and 78 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for molestation and stalking.
Additional DCP Rajesh Dandotiya acknowledged a lapse in security and confirmed a senior officer is probing the incident. Khan, a resident of Khajrana, is a habitual offender with around ten prior cases, including robbery, assault, molestation, and attempted murder, and was recently released after serving a decade-long jail term.
October 27, 2025, 14:48 IST
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