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Indian hockey player Varun Kumar was booked under POSCO act in Bengaluru for raping a woman multiple times on the pretext of marriage. Kumar, who has been part of the Indian hockey team for the ongoing FIH Pro League, in the latest turn of events, withdrew from the squad following the accusations to fight the legal battle.
The Arjuna awardee left the squad on Thursday, February 8 on “urgent leave” after he claimed that the incident has taken a toll on his “physical and mental health”. He also called his move as “calculated attempt to extort money” from him. Addressing a letter to the Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, Varun said that the complaint filed is false and attempts to misuse of “state machinery”.
“Through media reports I got to know that a false and frivolous case has been filed against me by a girl with whom I was in a relationship previously and the said case has been culminated into an FIR in Bangalore though I have not been contacted by any police official in this regard,” he wrote in the letter.
“The aforesaid case is nothing but a calculated attempt to extort money out of me and to tarnish my reputation and image as I’m accomplished hockey player having played for India and being as Arjuna Awardee and she knows that such a case could hamper my career and image,” the 28-year-old further added.
As reported, the letter is also sent to the chief coach of the men’s team Craig Fulton ad the Hockey India Secretary General Bholanath Singh. “… in order to avail my legal remedies and legal rights I would require urgent leave from the academy and furthermore given the circumstances, I will unfortunately not be in a position to participate in the Pro League,” Varun addressed in the letter.
Speaking of the incident, which was filed on Monday, February 5th, the 22-year-old woman said that she came in contact with Varun in 2018 through Instagram. It further adds that Varun took her to a hotel in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar in July 2019 and was forced into physical relations, promising her of marriage when she was 17 years of age. According to Hockey India sources, the victim was then a volleyball player at the National Centre of Excellence in SAI and the two started their relationship there.
