Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach was granted bail on Saturday by a New Delhi court following accusations he molested a woman and beat up her fiance.
He faces up to two years in jail if found guilty of molestation and assault after the incident during an after-game party following the Royal Challengers Bangalore victory over the Delhi Daredevils at the ITC Maurya Hotel in the Indian capital.
The 27-year-old batsman, who has one cap for Australia, is signed up for the Royal Challengers but has not played for them.
The cricketer has denied the charges against him.
"He has received bail, on condition that he surrenders his passport and pays a surety of 30,000 rupees ($550) on each charge," his lawyer, Ajay Bhargava said.
He added that the court ruled that "a trespassing charge cannot be maintained" against Pomersbach after CCTV footage filmed outside the alleged victim's room proved inconclusive on whether the cricketer had forcibly entered her suite.
A visibly relieved Pomersbach told reporters outside the court: "I am happy that I have been granted bail and looking forward to getting to the bottom of it."
His arrest was headline news in Indian and Australian newspapers on Saturday with reports detailing the sensational allegations in the case and the chequered history of the money-spinning IPL.
Pomersbach, wearing a heavy bandage on his right arm, fainted during an earlier court appearance on Friday.
The alleged woman victim, a 27-year-old from the US, told Indian media Pomersbach had "tagged along" with her and her Mumbai-based fiance and said the cricketer grabbed her while they drank together in a hotel room.
When her fiance asked Pomersbach to leave her alone, the Western Australian "turned around and started hitting him", she alleged.
The man was in a stable condition in hospital. He has yet to make a statement to police.
AFP
Tags: sport, cricket, perth-6000, india First posted May 19, 2012 23:14:54
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