Bengal and Delhi Capitals Cricketer Abishek Porel Arrested Following High Court Directives in Sexual Assault Case
KOLKATA: Bengal wicketkeeper-batter and Delhi Capitals player Abishek Porel was arrested by West Bengal Police from his residence in Hooghly late on August 10, 2026, following allegations of rape, physical assault, extortion, and criminal intimidation. Porel was produced before the Chinsurah District Court on August 11 and remanded to three days of police custody.
The arrest followed specific directives issued by the Calcutta High Court ordering police to trace Porel immediately and confiscate electronic devices to prevent the dissemination of private material.
Background of the Allegations
The case originated from an FIR registered on June 23, 2026, at Mogra Police Station in Hooghly district, based on a complaint lodged by a third-year medical student from Karnataka. According to police records, the complainant and Porel had been in a relationship, during which Porel allegedly engaged in physical relations under the promise of marriage.
The complainant further alleged that Porel recorded intimate moments without her consent, subjected her to physical confinement and abuse during an incident in Delhi in April 2026, and subsequently issued threats using personal digital media when she attempted to sever communications.
High Court Intervention and Seizure of Electronic Devices
Frustrated by delays in law enforcement action, the survivor approached the Calcutta High Court. Hearing the petition, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya directed investigating authorities to trace Porel without further delay and execute comprehensive searches to secure digital evidence.
During night searches conducted at Porel's residence, police seized electronic storage devices, including laptops and pen drives. The High Court emphasized that protective custody of electronic material was imperative to prevent unlawful distribution or tampering with sensitive digital records during ongoing forensic evaluation.
The FIR invokes multiple statutory provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023—including Section 69 (sexual intercourse by deceitful means or false promise of marriage), Section 64(1) (rape), and Section 351 (criminal intimidation)—alongside Sections 66E and 72 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Porel, who has represented Bengal in domestic cricket and plays for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has denied the allegations. The matter remains under active investigation by West Bengal police under judicial oversight.