TTFI suspends Ghosh after rape charge

The Executive Board of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) on Friday suspended player Soumyajit Ghosh, pending a police investigation following rape charges hurled against him by a teenager.

During the provisional suspension, the paddler will not be able to participate in any national or international tournament.

The executive board, based on legal opinion sought by the TTFI, took the unanimous decision following a video conference.

"The executive board of the TTFI, taking cognizance of the media reports and the FIR filed against Soumyajit Ghosh, has unanimously decided to suspend the player and restrain him from participation in all tournaments until further orders," the TTFI said in a statement.

"Accordingly, the executive board members felt that the charges levelled against Ghosh are of grievous nature and they warranted placing him under provisional suspension immediately."

Ghosh, one of India's top paddlers in the last decade who took part in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, has been accused of allegedly raping an 18-year-old girl.

An FIR has been lodged in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district's Barasat women police station, accusing Ghosh of raping her at her residence in April 2015 on a false promise of marriage.

The woman also claimed to have been in contact with Ghosh for the last three years when she was a minor and said she did not get any positive response from the paddler about their marriage.

Ghosh has been booked on the charges of rape (Indian Penal Code's Section 376), cheating (IPC 417), causing miscarriage without woman's consent (IPC 313) and under sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

--IANS

ajb/vm