Indian arrested for rape in Zimbabwe absolved of all charges

The Indian national arrested for alleged rape in Zimbabwe has been absolved of all charges and released with immediate effect by the High Court there, his company claimed on Wednesday.

The second-string Indian cricket team's tour of Zimbabwe ran into controversy last Sunday after it emerged that two men were arrested on charges of rape even as officials confirmed no Indian cricketer was involved in the incident.

One of the two arrested persons is an official associated with one of the sponsors of the series.

"The High Court Judge at Harare Justice Mawadze, Zimbabwe, after considering merits of the case found no reason to continue to hold the Consultant of ITeamWorks, in custody for an alleged crime, and released him with immediate effect," read a statement from the company.

It added, "The accused, being represented by Dumisani Mthombeni and Hon Jonathan Samukange, claimed innocence and judiciary release was based on the support, cooperation and evidence presented by the accused parties."

The storm erupted after Zimbabwean media reported that an unnamed Indian cricketer was arrested on charges of rape.

The reports stated that India's ambassador to the African nation, R Masakui, had tried to prevent the player's arrest at a Harare hotel.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India had clarified that none of its players or officials were involved in the alleged incident.

IMAGE: (For representational only) India's players get into a huddle before a match in the limited-overs' series against Zimbabwe

Photograph: BCCI.