Efforts being made to reconstruct sequence of events: police
Sahil Peerzada, fiancé of the U.S. national who was allegedly molested by Luke Pomersbach in a five-star hotel suite here, on Monday claimed that the Australian cricketer first punched him when he politely asked him to leave the room after he misbehaved with his fiancée.
After discharge from Primus Hospital here in the afternoon, Sahil told the media that Pomersbach initially invited him to his room. However, he turned down the offer as he was tired. But “he followed us to our room. My friend (Miraz) opened the door. We went inside and within five minutes, he misbehaved (with his fiancée),” he said.
Sahil said he then asked the cricketer to leave. “He pushed me,” Sahil alleged, adding that was how the scuffle broke out.
Hearing the commotion, Miraz and another friend Moiz, who was taking a shower in another room, rushed in and confronted the cricketer. Pomersbach then retreated, leaving Sahil in the room bleeding from the left ear. “Miraz tater took Sahil to Primus Hospital where he underwent surgery,” said a police officer. After the victim raised an alarm, hotel authorities deployed a guard outside her suite.
Pomersbach returned after a while. “Footage of a camera installed in the elevator has revealed that he was accompanied by Bangalore Royal Challengers player K. P. Appanna. The accused then went to the victim's room and banged the door in a bid to make a forced entry,” said the officer. The victim later alleged that Appanna had threatened her with dire consequences if she did not withdraw her complaint against Pomersbach.
In a statement to the police, Appanna has denied issuing such a threat to Sahil's fiancée stating that he was not present at the time of the incident. However, the victim has alleged that Appanna first tried to force open the door and then Pomersbach made a vain attempt to enter the room.
Leg spinner Appanna, who plays for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy, on Monday visited the Patiala House courts complex to seek legal advice.
The police have contacted Miraz, who had left for Mumbai soon after the incident. “He is expected to be here on Tuesday for getting his statement recorded. We have also sought a list of guests who had attended the party at the hotel where Pomersbach first met the victim. Efforts are being made to reconstruct the entire sequence of events leading up to the incident, with the help of statements from witnesses, the hotel staff, the victim and her fiancé besides the CCTV footage,” said the officer.
Meanwhile, Pomersbach submitted in a court here the details of a second person who is standing surety for him. The court, while granting bail to Pomersbach, had asked that he submit a personal bond of Rs. 30,000 along with two sureties of a like amount.
On Saturday, the cricketer had only one surety to stand for him, following which his counsel promised to bring the second surety to court on Monday.
(With inputs by Jiby Kattakayam)
Camera footage shows Pomsersbach was accompanied by cricketer Appanna Pomersbach submits to court details of second person standing surety for him
