Security in Navi Mumbai has been significantly tightened for the remaining matches of the ongoing Women’s World Cup 2025 following the molestation incident involving two Australian players in Indore. The city will be hosting two of the last three matches in the tournament, including the final at the DY Patil Stadium.
The incident in Indore occurred on October 23, when two Australian cricketers left their team hotel to visit a cafe. They were allegedly “inappropriately touched” during the outing. The Australian team’s management reported the behaviour, and an FIR was registered under Section 74 (use of criminal force to outrage a woman’s modesty) and Section 78 (stalking). The accused, Aqueel Sheikh, was arrested by Madhya Pradesh police following a six-hour strategic operation.
ALSO READ: Out-of-favour star hits back at Gambhir, Agarkar’s stance, exposes bitter reality: ‘To play for India you have to…’
In the wake of the incident in Indore, Navi Mumbai beefed up the security for the last two matches in Navi Mumbai, which include a semifinal between India and Australia on Thursday, followed by the final on Sunday.
“Since the very first day that is, from October 18th, when practice started here, we have deployed guards at all the hotels where the women players are staying. Apart from that, whenever the team travels from the stadium to the hotel or vice versa, we provide them with an escort. Here on the ground, we have deployed approximately 600 personnel, comprising 75 officers and the remainder as police constables. In addition, if any player wants to go out, they must inform us, and we provide them with protection as well,” said a senior police officer in Maharashtra Police in Navi Mumbai to India Today.
{{/usCountry}}“Since the very first day that is, from October 18th, when practice started here, we have deployed guards at all the hotels where the women players are staying. Apart from that, whenever the team travels from the stadium to the hotel or vice versa, we provide them with an escort. Here on the ground, we have deployed approximately 600 personnel, comprising 75 officers and the remainder as police constables. In addition, if any player wants to go out, they must inform us, and we provide them with protection as well,” said a senior police officer in Maharashtra Police in Navi Mumbai to India Today.
{{/usCountry}}He not only assured 24x7 security for the players, but also urged cricketers to inform before leaving the team hotel.
“After learning about the incident, actually, we were already taking precautions from the beginning, but sometimes what happens is that players go out without informing the police, and that creates a problem. If they inform us beforehand, we ensure their protection,” he added.
On Sunday, the accused, Aqeel, was arrested in connection with the alleged molestation incident and has been taken on a two-day remand by the MIG Police Station. The police revealed that he has a past criminal history. The accused has been booked under Sections 74 and 78 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).