Asunta Lakra denies allegations and challenges Hockey India Ethics Committee jurisdiction

Former Indian women’s hockey captain and selector Asunta Lakra denied all allegations made against her and questioned the jurisdiction of Hockey India’s Ethics Committee in a detailed preliminary reply sent to the committee chairman, Justice (Retd) Raghvendra Kumar, on Wednesday in New Delhi.

Asunta has had complaints lodged against her by Albela Rani Toppo, and she has previously levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against coach Sudhir Golla and criminal intimidation against Hockey India Secretary-General Bholanath Singh. The correspondence to the Ethics Committee chairman set out her response to the complaints and raised procedural objections to the proceedings.

“I deny each and every allegation, insinuation and imputation levelled against me in the said complaints, whether express or implied...The allegations are false, baseless, malicious, motivated, defamatory and are a complete distortion of facts,” Asunta wrote in her detailed preliminary reply to Justice (Retd) Raghvendra Kumar on Wednesday.

She contested the authority of the Ethics Committee to proceed, arguing in writing that the complaints were addressed to the Secretary General rather than the President and that, under the bylaws of Hockey India adopted on 20th June, 2026 and the Code of Ethics, the Ethics Committee “is not a body of original or suo-motu jurisdiction... A complaint referable to the Ethics Committee must first be placed before, examined by and referred in writing by the President, Hockey India, who alone performs the gatekeeping function. “Until such a written reference is made by the President, the Ethics Committee is not, and cannot be, seized of the complaint, and no inquiry – fact-finding or otherwise - can be commenced against any person,” she stated.

Asunta also questioned the veracity of the notice served on her, saying it was issued “at the instance of secretary-general” while noting that the secretary-general is a person of interest in the matters she has raised.

She challenged the constitution of the Ethics Committee and the chairman’s power to act alone, writing that “The Ethics Committee is a collegiate body which must act as a body and through a validly constituted quorum.”

The complaints against Asunta were filed by Albela Rani Toppo, and she had been asked to reply by August 5.