The Haridwar police on 7 August arrested a third accused in connection with the alleged passing of casteist remarks against family members of women’s hockey team player Vandana Katariya after India’s defeat against Argentina in the Tokyo Olympics.
According to a release from the police, Sumit Chauhan (23) was arrested this morning following a tip off from informers.
The police on 5 August had arrested two brothers, Ankurpal (21) and Vijaypal (25), in connection with the case.
Vandana’s brother Chandra Shekhar had lodged an FIR at Sidkul police station on 4 August, alleging that when the Indian hockey team lost to Argentina, Sumit Chauhan, Ankurpal and Vijaypal had danced in celebration, burst crackers in front of their house in Roshnabad area, and hurled abuses with casteist remarks against the family.
As per his complaint, the accused said the Indian team lost the game due to players from a particular caste.
The 29-year-old forward hockey player emerged as the star of the final Pool A match at Olympics 2020 when India narrowly won over Ireland. Last week, Vandana Katariya had scored three goals for the team as she defeated South Africa, leading India to the quarter-final against Australia. The athlete became the first Indian women’s hockey player to register a hat-trick at the Olympics.
Vandana Katariya’s first tryst with fame came in 2013 when she was selected for the junior hockey team. Her performance helped India win the bronze medal at the 2013 Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup. With five goals, Katariya was India’s highest scorer in the tournament. At the Asian Games 2014, Katariya was in the senior hockey team and once again went on to win the bronze medal. She was part of the gold medal-winning hockey team at the 2017 Asia Cup. The player performed for the team to achieve a silver medal at the Asian Games in 2018.
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