Two players belonging to I-League clubs were charged with raping a minor girl at the apartment they shared in the north Kolkata suburb of Dum Dum late on Tuesday.
The police nabbed East Bengal's midfielder Jagpreet Singh and his domestic help Ravi Singh. Both will be produced in court on Wednesday, the police said.
United SC’s Baldeep Singh and Joseph Singh are absconding, said an official with the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate.
The police acted on a complaint by the girl's father who said the incident had happened on Monday afternoon. A case has been registered under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code against all four, the police said. Jagpreet and Baldeep have played for the senior India team.
An East Bengal official though said Jagpreet is innocent and was with the team for their I-League 6 match against Pune FC when the crime was allegedly committed.
“We are trying to get him released,” said the official who didn't want to be committed given the sensitive nature of the case.
The East Bengal official instead alleged that a player who had sought and got a release from the club on Monday was responsible and not Jagpreet.