Indian Hockey Team Player in POCSO Row Over Hyderabad Volleyball Player's Sexual Exploitation Charge

A volleyball player from Hyderabad lodged an FIR alleging the involvement of Varun Kumar, who has been accused of raping the complainant who was 17 years old when she was allegedly lured with sexual intimacy. She alleged that Varun had sexually exploited her for five years.

Bengaluru:An Indian hockey team player, who is also an Arjuna Award-winner, has been accused of cheating in the name of marriage by a Hyderabad-based volleyball player. Following the complaint of the woman, Gnanabharati police registered a case under POCSO against Varun Kumar, the defender of the Indian hockey team.

According to the FIR, Varun, who met her on social media, got physically intimate with her. The volleyball player, who was barely 17 years old then, had been promised marriage by the hockey player.

After being selected for volleyball in 2016-17, she underwent training in Sports Authority of India South Division.

In her FIR, the woman alleged Varun took her to Jayanagar in Bengaluru on the pretext of dinner in the night and forced physical contact with her in 2019. According to her, Varun had physical contact with her for five years from time to time. "When my father died a year ago, he came to our house for the last time and never contacted me again," she said.

Varun, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, made his debut for India in 2017. He was part of the Indian contingent which won silver in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, gold in the 2022 Asian Games and bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Himachal Pradesh government announced Rs 1 crore in recognition of his contribution as a hockey player after the team got bronze in the Olympics.