CORRECTION: An earlier version of the story incorrectly carried a picture of hockey player Jasjit Singh Kular. The error is deeply regretted.
A British national has allegedly lodged a complaint of "sexual exploitation" with the Punjab Police against Indian hockey team captain Sardar Singh. The woman is from Leeds in England and was the first Sikh player in the Britain under-19 women's hockey team, the IANS reported.
However, Sardar Singh has denied these allegations saying he knew her but was never engaged to her. "I know her but it's wrong to say that I assaulted her," Sardar said to PTI. Singh is presently playing in the Hockey India League, where he is leading the Jaypee Punjab Warriors side.
"Presently my full concentration in on the ongoing HIL. After last night's match, I came to know about the allegations. Tomorrow I have a match again. It is a very serious allegation. I will look at the report and consult my lawyer. I will answer all questions but I need some time," he said.
When asked whether he got engaged with the complainant, Sardar denied it outright, saying: "Nothing like that happened between us."
A complaint was filed at the Koom Kalan police station at Sri Bhaini Shaib in Ludhiana on Tuesday by the woman who alleged that she met Singh during the 2012 London Olympics and had a physical relationship with him. When she became pregnant, she had an abortion on Singh's insistence, she claimed.
They got engaged in 2014 but later Singh allegedly refused to marry her and blocked her calls, the Hindustan Times reported. No FIR has been filed yet, HT quoted Sub-Inspector Surjit Singh Nagra as saying.
"I and Sardar have been together for four years and I am his fiancee...now he is betraying me," the woman told ETV.
"He used to love me a lot earlier, but now I am heartbroken. We should have been married by now but he is now not even answering my messages or phone calls for three months. I don't want to speak about his hockey career. I have no issues with him focusing on that, but what he has done to me is wrong," she said.
She even alleged that the midfielder had threatened her.
Singh is the youngest player to captain India and was awarded a Padma Shri in 2015.
Ludhiana Police Commissioner P S Umranangal said that the complaint is being verified. "The woman has alleged sexual harassment and filed a written complaint against national hockey captain Sardar Singh. The maternal family of the player lives near Bhaini Sahib and the woman has alleged that they met during visits to this religious sect guru. FIR has not been registered as investigation is going on," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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