Three years in Indian jail: Ghanaian footballers await court date in gang rape case

Two Ghanaian footballers have been held in an Indian prison for nearly three years, their fate hanging in the balance as they await a crucial court appearance next month in connection with a gang rape allegation that has taken conflicting turns over the alleged victim’s profession.

Christopher Nars (28) and Moses Zutah (24) were arrested on May 18, 2023, following a complaint filed by a local woman at the New Town police station in Kolkata. The case, which has strained the young men’s families back in Ghana, is scheduled to be heard in court on March 19, 2026.

According to the initial police report, the两名 footballers had entered India on student visas and were working part-time for various clubs in the state. The case took a complicated turn from the outset, with starkly contrasting accounts of the night in question.

The Allegation

The New Town Police reported that the complainant, an Indian woman in her late twenties who was separated from her husband and living alone, alleged she was forced to spend the night at a guest house in the Picnic Garden area, where the two footballers resided.

An officer of the Bidhannagar City Police detailed the woman’s complaint at the time of the arrest. “The woman complained the two men had sex with her on multiple occasions through the night against her wish and was let go only the next morning,” the officer stated. Police reports also noted that the woman was “battered and bruised” following the incident. She reportedly waited at her rented accommodation for two days before gathering the courage to file the formal complaint against the two athletes.

The Counter-Narrative

However, a starkly different version of events emerged shortly after the arrest, coming from a source close to the accused footballers. Speaking to Angel Sports, a close associate of the players alleged that the woman was a commercial sex worker, referred to locally as a “hookup.”

According to this account, the encounter was entirely consensual and transactional. It is alleged that Moses Zutah initially engaged the woman’s services and paid her for a consensual encounter. Subsequently, Christopher Nars also reportedly sought her services. The source further alleged that a dispute arose not over the nature of the act, but over payment. It is claimed that while Nars paid a portion of the agreed amount, he was unable to fulfil a promise he had allegedly made to her in full.

This conflicting narrative has been central to the case as it has languished in the Indian legal system.

A Plea for Help

With the two men having been on remand for the past three years, their families are growing increasingly desperate. In a bid to garner support, the father of one of the players is scheduled to appear on the sports program Sports Salad today.

The families are formally seeking assistance from the Government of Ghana, the Ghana Football Association (GFA), and other relevant stakeholders. Their primary goal is to secure diplomatic intervention that could help expedite the legal process or ensure their sons receive fair representation and treatment under Indian law.

As the Ghanaian community and the families await the March 19 court date, the case remains a complex and painful saga, highlighting the perilous situations athletes can find themselves in when pursuing careers far from home.