Indian rape accused acquitted of charges in Zimbabwe

The Indian national who was allegedly involved in a case of rape in Zimbabwe has been acquitted of all charges and released from custody, his company has said.

"The High Court judge, after considering the merits of teh case, found no reason to continue to hold the consultant of iTeamWorks in custody for the alleged crime and released him with immediate effect," the accused's company said in a statement.

India's tour of Zimbabwe was struck by a massive controversy last week when a rumour that two national cricketers had been arrested on charges of raping a local surfaced.

Krishna Satyanarayana Gandlur, a consultant for iTeamWorks - the in-stadia rights-holder for the ongoing India-Zimbabwe series - was the individual at the centre of the rape controversy.

Amid rampant speculation, the Indian contingent had to release a statement clarifying that no Indian cricketer was involved in the incident, and that the individual concerned was Satyanarayanan, a contractual worker with the in-stadia rights holder of the series.

Satyanarayanan and another Indian national, Zambia-based Ravi Krishnan, were detained by Harare police on charges of rape.