Sozzled Luke hit me often, says Sahil

For the first time after the brawl between model-turned-businessman Sahil Peerzada and Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach, who is accused of molesting an American woman, Peerzada has recorded his statement with the Delhi police on Sunday.

Peerzada said he had been punched “three-four times” by Pomersbach, a Royal Challengers team member.

Now when he is in a condition to give a statement, investigators are trying to contact his Mumbai-based friends, who were with him at the time of the incident.

Sahil has been shifted out of the intensive care unit of the hospital where he was admitted after the alleged attack and his condition is said to be stable.

A police officer said according to the closed circuit television footage of the hotel, at 5:11 am, Luke, Sahil, Zohal Hameed and Moiz were standing at the corridor outside the room, where the incident took place.

“We are trying to contact Miraj and Moiz. They can give us their version of what happened in the room. Moiz will reach Delhi by tomorrow (Monday),” said a senior police officer.

Investigators recorded Peerzada’s statement at the Primus hospital in Chanakyapuri, where he is undergoing treatment after he was punched two days ago allegedly by the 27-year-old batsman when he objected to the cricketer’s misbehaviour with his “female friend” Zohal Hameed.

According to a senior police officer, “Sahil maintained Zohal’s claims in his statement. He said that he and Zohal had met Luke at the party in the pub of the five-star hotel where they were staying. They chatted with one another and had drinks together at the party.
Later in their (Sahil’s) room, Luke tried to misbehave with Zohal to which Sahil objected. Enraged over this, the cricketer threw an ashtray towards Sahil and later punched him on his face.”

The couple was staying at a room booked under the name of T Venkatram Reddy, owner of Deccan Chargers, an Indian Premier League franchise.