I was pressured, says victim

After the Australian cricketer playing in Indian Premier League — Luke Pomersbach — was arrested for allegedly molesting a 27-year-old American woman and bashing up her fiance in the national capital, the victim alleged that she was pressured to drop the case against the cricketer.

“I was under pressure and threatened by five to six men to drop the case. The whole IPL team came. I need the Indian government to help me,” she said.

The victim — Zohal Hameed — claimed that the player invited himself for some drinks with the couple and some common friends from Mumbai in their room. She left the men alone and went to her bedroom to get some sleep but Luke followed her and misbehaved with her, she alleged.

“I am not sure about his full name. But he tagged along with us after the party and insisted that we have few drinks with him. I felt uncomfortable by his dirty, nasty looks and told my fiance that he can have drinks with him if he wishes. I was going to my bedroom to sleep when Pomersbach came from behind and grabbed me and tried to kiss me. Sahil intervened and asked the cricketer to leave and it was then that he started assaulting Sahil and beat him up badly,” Hamid broke down while narrating the incident in the court.

During the half-an hour proceedings, the cricketer fainted inside the courtroom after complaining of uneasiness. Two policemen carried him outside, sprinkled water on his face. After a while he regained consciousness and returned to the courtroom.
Pomersbach made his debut for Australia in a T20 match in Perth in 2007. He also played for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL in 2008-09 season.

A senior police officer said Pomersbach, has a history of misbehaviour under the influence of alcohol. In 2009, after two hit-and-run incidents, he was arrested by Australian police on charges of drink driving. He narrowly escaped a jail sentence as he was charged with assaulting a police officer who was trying to arrest him for drink driving.

He pleaded guilty and was fined and had his driver’s license cancelled. The Western Australian Cricket Association suspended him indefinitely and he returned from his ban in January 2010.

“During an inquiry we found about his past antecedents and got it confirmed from the Australian High Commission,” the officer said.