Cricketer Yash Dayal, who plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has been booked in a second rape case, this time involving a minor girl. The fresh allegations, reported in an FIR lodged at Jaipur’s Sanganer Police Station, accuse the 27-year-old pacer of raping a 17-year-old over a span of two years while emotionally blackmailing her and promising help with her cricketing career.
New FIR alleges exploitation of minor
According to the complaint, Dayal lured the girl, who was just 17 at the time of the first incident, with promises of helping her build a cricketing career. He allegedly invited her to a hotel in Sitapura, Jaipur, where the first instance of sexual assault reportedly took place. The FIR further states that the abuse continued for two years, during which Dayal emotionally manipulated the girl to maintain silence.
Due to the survivor being a minor when the alleged abuse began, the case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which imposes stringent penalties on crimes involving minors.
Previous case
This latest development follows closely on the heels of an earlier FIR against Dayal, filed on 6 July at Indirapuram Police Station in Ghaziabad. In that case, he was accused of sexually exploiting another woman under the false promise of marriage. The allegation falls under Section 69 of the newly implemented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means.
However, the Allahabad High Court recently granted Dayal interim protection from arrest in the Ghaziabad matter. A division bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Anil Kumar passed the order in response to Dayal’s petition challenging the FIR. The court has directed the state to file a counter affidavit and issued a notice to the complainant to present her side of the matter.
Dayal’s counsel argued that an offence under Section 69 of the BNS can only be established if it is proven that the accused never intended to fulfil the promise of marriage from the beginning.
The fresh FIR has cast a long shadow over Dayal’s cricketing career. Once considered a promising pace talent, his future in Indian cricket now hangs in the balance. RCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have yet to issue official statements on the allegations or clarify whether disciplinary action is being considered.
As of now, Dayal has not made any public comment regarding either of the accusations.