The Monster Of Misogyny Continues To Harass, Stalk, Assault Women In India
The sexual assault of two Australian women cricketers on October 23 in Indore speaks volumes about the condition of women in India and the attitude of its men towards women
On October 23, two players from the Australian Women’s Cricket Team were stalked and sexually assaulted in Indore. Their assaulter was a motorcyclist who felt emboldened enough to carry out the crime in a city that is regarded as the commercial capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh and comes directly under the watch of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who also holds the Home portfolio.
This incident speaks volumes about the condition of women in India and the attitude of its men towards sexual assault of women in particular and towards women in general.
The shocking thing is this assault happened in a city which, according to the National Annual Report and Women’s Safety Index (NARI 2025), is ranked among the safest cities in India for women. Nearly 70% respondents to the survey said they felt safe in Indore, higher than the national average of 64.6%.
Indore has also won, eight times in a row, the title of India’s ‘Cleanest City’ and prides itself on (or used to) being a smart, safe urban model.
First, let’s tackle the issue of the assault itself. On the fateful day, two women cricketers decided to step out of their hotel to head towards a nearby café. They had been there before and were familiar with the area. On their way, the accused motorcyclist spotted them and began stalking and harassing them.
The Australian women’s cricket team’s security manager Danny Simmons told police that at 11:08 am on October 23, he received a “Live Location” alert, the team’s emergency distress signal, followed by a WhatsApp message from one of the players, “Hey SOS, I’m sending my live location… There’s a guy following us, trying to grab us.” Simmons soon organised a car to go and assist the two shocked players.
The stalker, 29-year-old Aqeel, a resident of Khajrana area, was arrested within a few hours. The matter brought to the fore the mentality of people like Aqeel, who have no fear of the law and feel emboldened enough to carry out such horrific acts with abandon. It reveals a sick mind at work, which in this case, on spotting two women doing nothing more than walking on the road, in broad daylight, would stalk, harass and then sexually assault them. Clearly, he had done it on multiple occasions earlier and gotten away unpunished. Hence, the give-a-damn, obnoxious behaviour.
Equally troubling though, was the reaction of Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya. He sparked outrage by saying that the players should have informed someone before stepping out and that they should learn a lesson from the incident.
“Whenever any player goes anywhere, even when we go out, we always inform at least one local person. I think this will remind the players that in the future, if we leave our venue, we should inform our security or local administration before leaving, as there is a huge craze for cricket players. Cricket is a sport like football in England. I have seen football players’ clothes being torn.” Vijayvargiya added, “Sometimes, players don’t realise their popularity. Players are very popular, so they should be careful. This incident has happened; it’s a lesson for everyone. It’s a lesson for us and for the players as well.”
This is not the first time someone in a decision-making position in the government has revealed their misogynist views. Speaking a few months ago about Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Vijayvargiya had said, “We are people of an old culture. In our sisters’ village, Jirapur, we don’t even drink water. My father used to bring a pot of water from home. Our opposition leaders today are such that they kiss their young sisters in the middle of the crossroads. I want to ask you who among you kisses your young sisters or daughters in public? This is a lack of values. These are foreign values; these came about from being brought up abroad.”
If such views are held by a minister, someone who wields enormous influence over policy decisions and administrative affairs, and can thus have an impact on issues related to women’s safety and amelioration of women’s condition in India, one can only wonder what views and ideas a layman, without the advantage of education and insight, would harbour towards women in India.
The unfortunate incident in Indore may soon be consigned to the back shelves of public memory but what will rankle is the abject disregard for rule of law, lack of respect for women’s autonomy and the many, unconscious and subconscious ways in which the monster of misogyny continues to tower above, stalk, harass and assault women in India.
