Accused of Rape, Varun Kumar Withdraws from FIH Pro League, Takes Urgent Leave to Fight Legal Battle – News18

Accused of rape beneath the stringent POCSO act, Arjuna award-winning Indian hockey participant Varun Kumar has withdrawn from the FIH Pro League in Bhubaneswar to discover his authorized choices in opposition to the allegation, which he described as a “calculated attempt to extort money” from him.

The 28-year-old has been granted “urgent leave” from nationwide responsibility by Hockey India after he said that the incident has taken a toll on his “physical and mental health”.

Varun has been booked by the Bengaluru Police after a girl accused the defender of sexually abusing her a number of instances when she was a minor.

The 22-year-old, in her criticism filed on Monday, stated that she got here in touch with Varun in 2018 via Instagram, and the participant raped her on a number of events promising her of marriage when she was 17.

In a letter to Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, which is in possession of PTI, Varun claimed that the criticism in opposition to him is fake and a misuse of the “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,” Varun’s letter, despatched on Wednesday to Tirkey, learn.

“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 an accomplished hockey player having played for India and being an Arjuna Awardee and she knows that such a case could hamper my career and image.”

Varun, who was with the Indian workforce in Bhubaneswar for the Pro League matches,stated he’ll combat the allegations legally.

“…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 wrote.

“This incident has taken a toll on my physical and mental health and this is a very tough time for me and my family…being a sportsperson I have always been taught to fight till the very end and therefore I request your support in these difficult times,” he added.

Besides Tirkey, the letter has additionally been despatched to males’s workforce chief coach Craig Fulton and HI secretary common Bholanath Singh.

In her FIR, the lady has alleged that Varun insisted on assembly her after they acquired in contact on Instagram in 2018 and she or he relented after a few of his pals satisfied her. The two ultimately turned pals and acquired right into a relationship.

According the lady, he took her to a resort in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar in July 2019 and made bodily relations together with her regardless of being conscious that she was a minor and her resistance.

According to HI sources, the sufferer was a volleyball participant on the National Centre of Excellence in SAI, Bengaluru and the connection between the 2 began there.

However, she is now not an athlete and is at present working as an air hostess.

The lady has alleged that Varun stopped responding to her calls and messages after her father died final yr. According to her FIR, Varun paid her a go to after the tragedy however started distancing himself after that.

She stated that Varun resumed communication together with her when she approached the police on a earlier event. However, he went incommunicado when she persevered on the subject of marriage.

He then threatened to add her images on social media if she exerted strain on him.

Varun hails from Himachal Pradesh, and made his debut for India in 2017. He was promoted as a DSP in Punjab Police. He was bestowed the Arjuna award in 2021 and was part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver-winning workforce.

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated news company feed – PTI)