On Wednesday, Indian police arrested a software engineer for allegedly threatening to rape cricketer Virat Kohli’s infant daughter following India’s defeat to archrival Pakistan in the T20 World Cup.
Following their elimination from the Twenty20 international tournament, Indian cricketers have been subjected to a barrage of online vitriol and threats.
According to police, Akubathini Ramnagesh was arrested by investigators from the Mumbai Police Cyber Cell after his tweet targeting the cricketer’s 10-month-old daughter went viral.
The suspect, 23, is accused of sexual harassment, criminal intimidation, defamation, and publishing obscene material.
“He has been arrested and is being transported to Mumbai,” a police officer told AFP. Kohli is married to Anushka Sharma, a Bollywood actress, and the couple welcomed their first child in January.
Ramnaresh is accused of issuing threats from his Twitter account after India’s first-ever World Cup defeat to Pakistan in the tournament’s opening game on October 24.
The humiliating 10-wicket defeat prompted trolling of the Indian team, including the side’s only Muslim player, Mohammed Shami, who received a barrage of social media abuse.
Several former cricketers and Shami’s teammates, including Kohli, condemned the vitriol directed at the bowler.
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