India Hockey Player Varun Kumar Accused of Rape, Booked Under POCSO Act – News18

Arjuna award-winning Indian hockey participant Varun Kumar was on Tuesday booked beneath the stringent POCSO act 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, mentioned that she got here involved with Varun in 2018 by Instagram, and the participant raped her on a number of events promising her of marriage when she was 17.

She mentioned Varun was coaching on the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru when she met him. Varun, who was awarded the Arjuna in 2021, was not too long ago promoted as a DSP in Punjab Police.

“Based on the complaint received from the woman, we have registered a case on Monday against the Hockey player under appropriate section of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and sections 376 (rape) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code,” the Bengaluru Police mentioned in a press release.

Varun, who was within the Indian standby checklist for the Tokyo Olympics, is at present coaching with the nationwide squad in Bhubaneswar for the upcoming FIH Pro League. India are scheduled to face Spain of their opening encounter on February 10.

There was hypothesis that Varun, a 2022 Commonwealth Games silver-medallist, is on the run, however Hockey India rubbished the hearsay.

“He is not absconding. He is in Bhubaneswar with the team,” a Hockey India supply instructed PTI.

Varun, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, made his debut for India in 2017.

In the FIR, the girl has alleged that Varun insisted on assembly her after they obtained in contact on Instagram and he or she relented after a few of his associates satisfied her.

The two finally grew to become associates and obtained right into a relationship.

According the girl, he took her to a lodge in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar in July 2019 and made bodily relations together with her regardless of being conscious that she was a minor. She mentioned she had resisted however he promised to take their relationship a step additional and marry her later.

“She accused him of getting physical with her on several occasions over the five-year long relationship she shared with him on the pretext of marriage,” the FIR said.

The girl alleged that he began distancing himself from her and 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 stopped speaking after that.

He even threatened to add her images on social media if she exerted strain on him for marriage.

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