Former India women's hockey team captain Asunta Lakra has challenged the maintainability of the ethics proceedings initiated against her by Hockey India, alleging procedural irregularities and questioning the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee.In a nine page preliminary reply sent to the chairman of Hockey India's Ethics Committee, Justice (Retd) Raghvendra Kumar, Lakra denied all allegations made in complaints filed by former international Albela Rani Toppo, describing them as "false, baseless, malicious, motivated and defamatory.""I deny each and every allegation, insinuation and imputation levelled against me in the said complaints, whether express or implied, as if the same were set out herein separately and traversed seriatim. The allegations are false, baseless, malicious, motivated, defamatory and are a complete distortion of facts," she said in her reply, which is also copied to HI president and general secretary.Last month, Lakra had been served a show cause notice by the federation's Ethics Committee on a complaint filed against her by Albela Rani Toppo, also from Jharkhand.This development came a day after the Sports Ministry had asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to conduct an independent enquiry into Lakra's allegations of sexual harassment of girls in Jharkhand hockey and institutional inti midation by HI secretary general Bholanath Singh.Lakra, who was asked to submit reply by August 5, 2026, clarified that her response was being filed "without prejudice" and "without submitting to the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee", while seeking documents and disclosures before filing a detailed reply on merits.Questioning the validity of the proceedings, Lakra argued that under Hockey India's bye-laws and Code of Ethics, the Ethics Committee could act only after a written reference from the President of Hockey India."Both the complaints in question are, on their own face, addressed to the Secretary General, Hockey India, and not to the President, Hockey India. Under…
This report has been adapted by the PurePlay Sports Desk from coverage by The Hindu Sportstar, The Bridge.