Indian Hockey Player Accused Of Raping Teen On Pretext Of Marriage

A 22-year-old girl has lodged a complaint against Varun Kumar (28), a player of the Indian National Hockey Team, alleging he had sex with her multiple times five years ago when she was 17. The woman alleged that she met the player online on Instagram in 2019. 

Kumar who is a prominent defender in Indian field hockey, playing for both the Punjab Warriors in the Hockey India League and the Indian National Team is reportedly on the run and a search by the investigators to nab him down has been initiated. 

Indian Hockey Player Booked For Raping Teen 

Bengaluru police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the 28-year-old player based on the complaint lodged by the woman. The FIR states that the woman was 17 (a minor) when she met Kumar in 2019 while he was training with Sports Authority Of India through Instagram and he would have sex with her during his visits to Bengaluru's Sai Stadium for his coaching camps. 

The woman alleged that the player had sex with her, promising he would marry her. Based on the details, Bengaluru police have registered a case and booked Kumar under the POCSO Act (Protection Of Children from Sexual Offenses) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Officials informed that Kumar who is originally from Himachal Pradesh has been residing in Punjab's Jalandhar town and is currently on the run but a search to trace him down has been initiated.

Who Is Varun Kumar?

28-year-old Varun Kumar is a prominent player in the Indian Hockey Team and has played pivotal roles as a defender while being part of the team winning several awards and medals in International tournaments. Kumar shifted from Himachal Pradesh to Punjab for his hockey career. 

Kumar, who made a debut in the national team in 2017, won a silver medal at the Birmingham- Commonwealth Games in 2022 and was a part of the Indian Hockey team winning a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2022. Himachal Pradesh's government had also announced a prize of 1 Lakh rupees for the player after the Indian national team won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.