Kolkata: Bengal and Delhi Capitals wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel was arrested late Monday night by West Bengal Police from a residential complex in Dum Dum, Kolkata. The 23-year-old cricketer was taken into custody by officials from the Hooghly (Rural) district police following a formal court order and is scheduled to be produced before the Chinsurah Court.
The arrest stems from a severe legal complaint lodged on June 23 at the Mogra Police Station in Hooghly district by a medical student originally from Karnataka and her mother. According to police reports, the complainant alleged that she and Porel had been in a personal relationship for approximately three and a half years, during which they travelled together.
She claimed that the cricketer engaged in sexual relations under assurances of marriage but later began distancing himself when differences arose between them. The victim further alleged that she was subjected to physical assault, confinement, and verbal threats, alongside extortion and blackmail involving intimate photographs.
Law enforcement authorities initiated formal proceedings under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Key charges include Section 69 of the BNS, which specifically penalizes obtaining sexual intercourse through deceitful means or false promises of marriage, alongside statutory provisions addressing assault, extortion, and cyber crimes.
The case gained significant momentum after the complainant approached the Calcutta High Court. In its ruling, the High Court directed the West Bengal Police to execute Porel’s arrest without delay and instructed investigating officers to seize all relevant electronic devices—including a digital pen drive submitted for forensic evaluation—to prevent the potential dissemination of sensitive personal material.
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Following the court’s directions, Hooghly (Rural) Superintendent of Police Kunwar Bhushan Singh confirmed that investigators made multiple attempts to locate Porel at his ancestral home in Chandannagar before tracking him down at the Emami City residential complex in Dum Dum late Monday night.
Porel initially rose to prominence during the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup before establishing himself in domestic cricket with Bengal. He earned widespread recognition in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being signed by Delhi Capitals in 2023 as a replacement player, eventually growing into a key middle-order contributor and being retained for ₹4 crore ahead of the 2025 season. He has represented Bengal in 32 First-Class matches and featured in the India A squad for the 2025 Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament.
When initial news of the complaint surfaced, Porel denied the allegations, maintaining that he would cooperate fully once officially contacted by law enforcement. Neither the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nor Delhi Capitals management have issued an official statement following his arrest.
