Two-time Olympian Soumyajit Ghosh married the girl who accused him of rape

Indian Table Tennis superstar Soumyajit Ghosh hit rock bottom earlier this year, when he was accused of rape by an 18-year-old girl. It landed the two-time Olympian in deep trouble, as he missed out on all the sporting action during this period, which also included the Golden Coast Commonwealth Games and the upcoming Asian Games. But now, in a stunning turn of events, he married the same girl who had pressed charges against him. 

Ever since the incident, Soumyajit has gained up to 10kgs of weight, and faces competition for his place in the table tennis setup. Recalling everything that has happened in the past four months, he told PTI, "They say a sportsperson in India has to go through a lot to achieve something. The grind prepares you for the worst but what happened with me four months ago hit me hard and hit me out of nowhere. I did not know how to deal with it.

"Everyone thought about the girl. That she was young. I was young too. If she was a minor, I was 22 when we started dating. I am still young. Having said that, there is no point looking back. I rather look ahead. Hope my court case is over soon and I get back to training."

Tulika Dutta, who had accused him of the crime, and later married the table tennis player stated that the two are hoping to begin afresh, and she will speak with her lawyers in order to end the case as soon as possible.

READ: Table Tennis Champion Soumyajit Ghosh Suspended After Being Accused Of Raping 18-year-old Girl

An FIR was filed by Tulika against Soumyajit in March, which meant Ghosh's hopes of being part of the Indian squad for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games ended. Ghosh had represented India at 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He also became the youngest national champion at the age of 19, when he defeated Sharath Kamal in the 74th National Table Tennis Championships.

Despite everything which went on in the past four months, the 25-year-old is hoping to return to the court, and is also eyeing a place in the Indian team for next the Olympics.

(With inputs from PTI)