Indian hockey player Varun Kumar, who won the Arjuna award, has been booked under the POCSO act by the Bengaluru Police after he was accused of raping a minor.
In her police complaint, the 22-year old said that she came in contact with Varun Kumar in 2018 through Instagram. Later, Kumar promised the victim of marriage and raped her on multiple occasions when she was 17. According to the victim, Kumar was training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru when she met him.
Based on the complaint received from the woman, senior Bengaluru Police officer have registered a case on Monday against the Hockey player under the appropriate section of the 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 on Tuesday.
Arrest of Varun Kumar
According to the FIR, the victim claimed that Varun urged to meet her after connecting on social media. They developed a friendship that eventually turned into a relationship. The woman also stated that Kumar took her to a hotel in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar in July 2019, where they engaged in physical intimacy. Despite her initial resistance, she relented after Kumar assured her of marriage. The FIR quoted her accusing Kumar of engaging in physical relations with her multiple times over their five-year relationship under the guise of marriage.
However, after some time, Varun Kumar began to distance himself from her and ceased responding to her calls and messages following her father’s demise last year.
Several months later, Kumar began to threaten the woman, stating that he would post her photos on social media if she persisted in pressuring him to stay in the relationship.
Who is Varun Kumar?
Varun Kumar, previously on the Indian standby list for the Tokyo Olympics, is now undergoing training with the national squad in Bhubaneswar in preparation for the upcoming FIH Pro League. The Indian team is scheduled to take on Spain in the opening match on February 10th. Hailing from Himachal Pradesh, Kumar made his debut for India in 2017 and in 2021, Varun Kumar was honored with the Arjuna Award. Recently, he was elevated to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Punjab. He has 141 senior caps and is also a 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games silver medallist.
What is POSCO?
POSCO stands for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences. It is an act to protect children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography and provide for establishment of Special Courts for trial of such offences and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.