Eminent Indian hockey player Varun Kumar has been accused of rape by a woman in Bengaluru. The woman - now 22 - has alleged that Varun raped her several times in the past five years, promising her of marriage.
Karnataka Police have filed a case against the defender of the Indian team under the POCSO Act following the complaint by the woman. Jnanabharthi police have lodged the FIR against the accused player and started an investigation into the incident.
As per the allegation by the woman, she was 17 when she met Varun through Instagram in 2019 and soon they became close. He started physical intimacy with the complainant after promising her marriage.
The victim has alleged that after forcefully sexually exploiting her for five years, the accused was avoiding her and refusing to marry.
As per sources, though the victim approached the police earlier, since the accused was representing the Indian hockey team and is a popular player, they did not act on the case and gave them time for compromise. Since the accused did not keep his word, the police finally booked him.
Varun Kumar - who is from Himachal Pradesh - had been living in Punjab’s Jalandhar.
As per police sources, Varun committed the crime while staying in Bengaluru. He is on the run and a search is on to trace him.
The accused had represented a Hockey India League. The Himachal Pradesh government had announced a prize of Rs 1 lakh for him after the Indian hockey team won the bronze medal in Tokyo Olympics.