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Indian-origin Australian cricketer Nikhil Chaudhary has been found not guilty of raping a woman outside a nightclub in North Queensland. Chaudhary was one of the finds from the Big Bash League 2023-24 season as he played for the Hobart Hurricanes and scored 154 runs in six innings while batting a strike rate of 142.59.
He also picked up five wickets and emerged as a great all-round option in the shortest format. Coming back to the incident, Chaudhary was accused of sexual assault a fter a night out in May 2021. The prosecutors revealed that the woman was raped in Chaudhary’s car on Flinders Street and sustained injuries and bleeding.
Chaudhary found not guilty of sexual assault charges in trial
Coming to the verdict, Crown prosecutor Shannon Sutherland said the 20-year-old woman had been left bleeding, indicating a degree of force. But the defence lawyer Claire Grant said the complainant's allegation was exaggerated, and that any sexual encounter in the car had been consensual, as per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation .
Grant raised doubt over the accuracy of the woman's memory of the incident saying that she had been drinking that night. The defence lawyer further disputed that penetration had taken place, and revealed any sexual encounter was consensual. She further stated that there was no proof that the injuries found on the woman were caused by Mr Chaudhary.
Claire Grant reminded that the complainant had agreed to go home with Chaudhary. "You don't agree to go home with someone at three in the morning … for a cup of tea," she said. Cricket Tasmania, on March 26, commented that they were unaware of the charges.
