India hockey star Varun Kumar accused of rape, booked under POCSO act

Varun Kumar

Arjuna award-winning Indian hockey player Varun Kumar has been booked under the stringent POCSO act by the Bangalore Police after a woman accused the defender of sexually abusing her multiple times when she was a minor.

The 22-year-old, in her complaint filed on Monday, said that she came in contact with Varun in 2018 through Instagram, and the player raped her on multiple occasions when she was 17, promising her marriage.

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She said Varun was training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bangalore when she met him. Varun, who was awarded the Arjuna in 2021, was recently promoted as a DSP with 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," a senior Bangalore Police officer said on Tuesday. There was speculation that Varun is on the run, but Hockey India rubbished the rumour.

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