Rauf admits photos with model real, denies relationship

[1]

Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf, who is at the centre of a raging controversy after a Mumbai-based model accused him of sexually exploiting her, on Wednesday admitted that photographs of the two posing together were real, but denied having any relationship with her.

Rauf, an ICC elite panel upmire, said that the model Leena Kapoor had taken pictures with him by posing as a fan and dismissed her claim that he had promised to marry her.

"I am 56 and happily married with two kids and at my age how can I promise to marry anyone else. I don’t know why she is doing this but if she continues to defame me and cause me and my family pain than I will take legal action against her," Rauf said.

"The allegations levelled by her are preposterous and she is just making this story up to gain cheap publicity and fame," he said.

In Mumbai, Kapoor gave a written complaint to Deputy Commissioner of Police Pratap Digaokar's office in suburban Bandra on Monday alleging that she was sexually abused by Rauf on several occasions in Sri Lanka as well as in India, this year.

Digaokar said the complaint was received by him and he has forwarded it to the Versova police station, which has begun an enquiry in the matter.

According to Kapoor, she meet Rauf in Sri Lanka in March this year through a common friend and the two exchanged their telephone numbers. She said Rauf had disclosed his marital status and the fact that he had children, but added that his religion allowed him to have more than one wife.

Kapoor said the umpire stopped responding to her calls and around five days back, he cut her off, denying knowing her at all.