India hockey player Varun Kumar accused of raping a minor, booked under POCSO

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India]: An FIR was registered in Bengaluru under the Protection of Children from Sexual Assault (POCSO) Act against India hockey player Varun Kumar, who has been accused of allegedly raping a minor under the pretext of marriage. 

The victim was selected for volleyball by the National Center of Excellence in the year 2016-17 and was undergoing training in the South Division of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). 

According to the victim, the 2021 Arjuna Award winner had allegedly promised to marry her and had physical contact with her when she was 17 years old. 

In her complaint, the victim alleged that she got into contact with Varun through social media and she went on to state that, in 2019, she was taken to Jayanagar on the pretext of night dinner and had forced physical contact. She also stated that Varun came to her house and consoled her after her father died a year ago. 

Varun made his debut in 2017 and plays for the Punjab Warriors. He is currently a part of India’s 24-member squad for the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 which is set to begin on February 10. India will take on Max Caldas’s Spain in their first match of the season. 

India will square off against Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Australia twice in the competition.