Search on for absconding 'rapist' footballers: Police

Kolkata - Police are still on the lookout for the two city footballers who are absconding after being accused of raping a minor, a senior officer said on Thursday.

“The two suspects – Baldip Singh and Jaspal Singh – are yet to be traced but we are confident that we will get them soon,” said Barrackpore Deputy Commissioner of Police Kalyan Mukhopadhyay.

Another footballer and his servant have already been arrested.

East Bengal midfielder Jogpreet Singh and his cook Ravi Singh were Wednesday sent to 14 days judicial custody after a complaint was lodged accusing the footballers of raping a 14 year old girl in North 24 Parganas district’s Dum Dum.

“We have got the test reports today (Thursday) but I can’t disclose it. We have also put forward a request to the court for a test identification (TI) parade,” added Mukhopadhyay.

Meanwhile, East Bengal Club has reiterated that they will provide all legal help to Jogpreet.

“We know he (Jogpreet) is innocent and we will provide him all help until he is proven guilty. He was in our dressing room at the Salt Lake Stadium when the incident happened,” said club’s football secretary Santosh Bhattacharya.

United Sports have already suspended Baldip, a former India international, who joined the Kolkata club from Pune FC at the start of the season.