According to The New Indian Express, sources in BCCI and Zimbabwe Cricket have said none of the players in the tour has been arrested. A source close to BCCI said an Indian national has indeed been arrested but he is with the promotional team.
Earlier reports suggested that an Indian cricketer has reportedly been put behind bars in Zimbabwe on charges of raping a women at the team hotel. The name of the player is yet to be revealed.
According to a report of newzimbabwe.com, the incident happened on Friday. Assistant Police Commissioner, Charity Charamba confirmed to the website that the incident happened at the hotel where the Indian players have been staying, and that an Indian national was involved.
"There are allegations of rape against an Indian national by a Zimbabwe woman. As the police, we are bound by the law when such serious matters arise and we investigate. We have investigated and forwarded the case to the courts for determination and we wait for the outcome. He appeared in the court today," Charamba said.
"We have concluded our investigation, but both the police and courts have to handle the issue with care as it can lead to a potential diplomatic feud."
According to the report, the woman was drugged and assaulted at the hotel lobby. She has given a statement saying she woke up with bloodied undergarments in the one of the players' room.
Further details on this issue is awaited. However, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has denied the claim that an Indian cricketer was involved.
"We have spoken to our Ambassador to Zimbabwe. The report is totally false. No Indian cricketer is involved. An Indian affiliated with one of the sponsors has been arrested. He has also denied the charge and said he is ready for a DNA test to prove his innocence. Our Ambassador is following the matter closely," the MEA was quoted as saying by the Quint.
"It is funny story really because it claimed the woman was loitering the passages at the hotel and was invited for drinks. She claims to have awoken later with bloodied underwear which implies she did not know how she ended up in player's room," a source close to the development told newzimbabwe.
"It is a tricky situation because it could turn into a diplomatic feud between the two countries. People need to tread carefully because the Indian ambassador was seen at the hotel trying to stop the player's arrest or maybe broker an out-of-court settlement with the woman."
