Delhi Capitals wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel was arrested by Mogra police late on Monday night in connection with allegations of rape, criminal intimidation and a relationship based on a false promise of marriage. The arrest came after the Calcutta High Court directed police to take Porel into custody without further delay.
Hooghly Rural Superintendent of Police Kunwar Bhushan Singh confirmed the arrest to PTI.
“There was a case lodged against him and a court order to arrest him. He was arrested late last night. He will be produced in court today.”
Kunwar Bhushan Singh, Hooghly Rural SP, to PTI, August 11, 2026
Porel, 23, was picked up from Emami City under Dum Dum police station and is expected to be produced before the Chinsurah court on Tuesday. He is the prime accused in Mogra PS Case No. 346/2026.
The complaint was filed on June 23 at Mogra police station in Hooghly district by a dental college student from Karnataka and her mother. The woman alleged that she and Porel had been in a relationship for approximately three years after first connecting in 2023. She claimed Porel continued the relationship after promising to marry her, forced her into a physical relationship, and later threatened her using intimate videos he had recorded. The complainant also alleged that Porel contacted and intimidated her through phone calls, an Instagram account allegedly operated by an associate, and a separate mobile number.
The most serious allegations in the FIR describe an incident on April 2, 2026, in Delhi.
“Abishek Porel illegally confined the complainant. He denied her food and deliberately kept her isolated. As a result… the complainant became physically weak and was unable to walk properly. Despite having a flight… she was compelled to seek immediate medical attention due to the injuries sustained.”
Complainant’s FIR, Mogra PS Case No. 346/2026, as reported by NDTV
The case is registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 64(1), 66, 69, 74 and 75(2), along with Sections 66E and 72 of the Information Technology Act. Section 69 of the BNS specifically deals with sexual intercourse obtained through a false promise of marriage. Several of these are non-bailable offences.
What stands out in this case is how long it took for the arrest to happen. The complaint was filed on June 23. For nearly a month, police did not arrest Porel. It took a petition before the Calcutta High Court for the process to move forward. On July 14, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya ordered police to continue tracing Porel and to seize his electronic devices to protect the complainant’s privacy and prevent the dissemination of intimate material. By July 20, the court had to direct police to arrest Porel immediately. The arrest finally happened on August 10, the night before the next court hearing was scheduled.
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Porel’s trajectory tells a familiar story in Indian cricket. In 2023, he was a Bengal domestic player brought into the Delhi Capitals squad as a replacement for the injured Rishabh Pant. Within two seasons, he was playing all 14 league games and finishing as DC’s third-highest run scorer. By 2025, he was retained for INR 4 crore. A player who was largely unknown outside Bengal cricket circles suddenly had national visibility, a multi-crore contract, and the access that comes with being an IPL regular. That transition from domestic anonymity to IPL spotlight happens fast, and it changes everything around a young cricketer. The money arrives first, then the recognition, then a social reach that no domestic cricketer is prepared for. The structures that are supposed to guide young players through this transition, franchise support systems, mentorship, player welfare programs, are either inconsistent or absent. When allegations like these surface, the question is not just about one individual. It is about what the system does, or fails to do, for cricketers who go from earning match fees in Ranji Trophy to being public figures overnight.
What the Yash Dayal Precedent Tells Delhi Capitals
Porel is not the first IPL cricketer to face allegations of this nature during a season. Earlier in 2026, RCB pacer Yash Dayal was accused of sexual assault by two women, including a minor, on false promises of marriage and career assistance. RCB’s response was to sideline Dayal from IPL 2026 without dropping his contract. Their Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, confirmed the decision publicly. Dayal himself later said RCB did not remove him but chose not to play him. This is not unlike how cricket boards have handled off-field controversies involving players in recent months, where the institutional response has often lagged behind the legal process.
Delhi Capitals have not issued any public statement on Porel’s case. No comment after the complaint in June. No comment after the High Court order in July. No comment after the arrest on Monday night. That silence, in itself, is a position. Whether DC follows the RCB approach of sidelining Porel while retaining his contract, or takes a different path, will be closely watched. With the next IPL auction cycle approaching, the franchise will have to make its stance clear.
🔴 DC ABHISHEK POREL ARRESTED OVER SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS 🤯
– IPL cricketer Abishek Porel has been arrested in connection with a case filed by a medical student alleging r*pe, criminal intimidation and other offences.
The Delhi Capitals player was arrested by police in Kolkata on… pic.twitter.com/6HLQRoAvcZ
— Sam (@cricsam02) August 11, 2026
Porel has denied all allegations since the FIR was registered.
“I am playing well now, so things are coming up. Will talk about this when police investigate.”
Abishek Porel, to media, after allegations surfaced, June/July 2026
These remain allegations at this stage. Porel is entitled to the presumption of innocence until a court determines otherwise. The investigation is ongoing, and Tuesday’s court appearance will be the next step in the legal process.
Sources:
[August 11, 2026] Hooghly Rural SP Kunwar Bhushan Singh,
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