Paddler Soumyajit Ghosh denies rape allegations, says was blackmailed

Soumyajit Ghosh (Image: Twitter)

New Delhi: Former national champion paddler Soumyajit Ghosh on Thursday denied allegations of rape against him, saying that the accuser has been blackmailing him after their relationship ended.

"Whatever she is saying is false as I haven't done anything wrong. We were together but then I wanted to focus on in my career, so I told her 'it is very difficult to be with you'," Ghosh, set to be dropped from the Commonwealth Games table tennis squad owing to the charges levelled by an 18-year-old, told PTI.

The complaint against him was lodged at the Barasat women's police station in North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, where the 24-year-old Arjuna awardee has been booked under the IPC sections for rape, criminal conspiracy, causing miscarriage without the woman's consent and cheating, the police said.

The paddler, who is currently training in Germany, claimed that the girl was blackmailing him for money and the allegations were a ploy to ruin his career.

"After I broke things off with her, she started blackmailing me, my family and my friend circle. From the last one and a half year, she has been trying to threaten and blackmail us.

"I don't know what happened; I think this is a plan, just before I am to leave for the Commonwealth Games. She is doing this to ruin my career," Ghosh said.

Ghosh said he was on good terms with the girl's family during their time together and her mother was also present when he won the Arjuna Award.

"Her mother also gave land to me on the outskirts of Kolkata in a place called Pandua. It is in mine and her name."

"I also paid for her father's medical treatment in a hospital in Kolkata. I had paid around Rs 50,000 for that through my credit card, I have the bills to prove the payments."

The Table Tennis Federation of India announced it is likely to suspend Ghosh but the paddler denied getting any word from the TTFI on this matter.

"I have not got any word about my suspension and will have to talk to the Table Tennis Federation of India," Ghosh said.