niyati goyal:
Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka who was with the national squad for T20 World Cup in Australia, has been arrested on rape charges in Sydney. He was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning from the team hotel in Sydney’s central business district after a police investigation into reports that a 29-year-old women had been sexually assaulted at a residence in Rose Bay earlier in the week. The Sri Lankan team has left Australia without him.
“The woman met with the man after communicating with him for a number of days via an online dating application; it is alleged he then sexually assaulted her on the evening of Wednesday 2 November 2022,” a New South Wales police statement said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “As part of ongoing investigations, a crime scene examination was undertaken by specialist police at an address in Rose Bay yesterday. Following further inquiries, a 31-year-old man was arrested at a hotel on Sussex Street, Sydney, shortly before 1am today (Sunday 6 November 2022). He was taken to Sydney City Police Station and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The Sri Lankan national was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court via AVL
today.”
The 31-year-old was staying with the team after getting ruled out of the tournament during the first round owing to a hamstring injury. He was replaced in the squad but remained with the team in Australia. He has played eight Tests, 47 ODIs and 46 T20Is for Sri Lanka since making his international debut in November 2015. Sri Lanka’s tournament ended on Sunday following a defeat in their final group match against England at the SCG.