NEW DELHI:
Mary Kom’s estranged husband Karung Onkholer, popularly known as Onler, has firmly refuted the Olympic bronze medallist’s allegations that she was deprived of crores of rupees and lost land purchased with her own earnings. The couple, both from Manipur, were married for over 20 years before their separation in 2023, a development that came as a surprise to many close to them.
Dismissing the accusations, Onler described them as baseless and instead levelled counter-allegations, claiming Mary Kom had been involved in extramarital relationships.
According to him, cracks in their marriage began appearing more than a decade ago. He alleged that in 2013, Mary Kom was involved in an affair with a junior boxer, which led to serious tensions between the two families before a settlement was reached. He further claimed that from 2017 onwards, she has been in a relationship with an individual linked to the Mary Kom Boxing Academy.
"I will talk about what she told Lok Adalat. Firstly, in 2013, she was having an affair with a junior boxer. Our families had a fight, and after that, we compromised. And since 2017, she's been having a relationship (with someone) working at the Mary Kom Boxing Academy. I have their WhatsApp messages as proof. I have proof, with the name of the person with whom she was having an affair. I remained silent," Onler told IANS.
He added that while he does not object to Mary Kom moving on with her life, he strongly objects to being publicly blamed.
“She wanted to stay alone and have another relationship. We're divorced. I don't mind if she wants to have another husband. But don't ever blame me. And if she's to blame me, bring the proof; get the papers. I know where she lives and with whom,” he said.
Questioning the financial allegations, Onler pointed to his current circumstances to counter claims that he possesses large sums of money.
“She mentioned the property and asked my name to be erased. She said I stole 5 crores. Check my account.
"For 18 years of marriage, we were together. And then, this? She's mad. I had been living with her for 18 years. What am I having? Look at my house. I'm staying in a rented house in Delhi. She's a celeb. Whatever she says, some will listen, and some won't.”
Mary Kom, meanwhile, described this period as the “darkest phase” of her life while opening up about the separation.
"I have been called greedy by people who know nothing about what I went through. Yes, I am now separated from my husband Onler and it all happened more than two years ago," she told PTI.
"Things were fine till I was competing and had very little involvement in my finances but when I got injured before the 2022 Commonwealth Games, I realised I was living a lie.
"I was bed-ridden for several months, needed a walker after that. It was then that I realised that the man I had trusted was not what I believed him to be. I did not want it to be a spectacle for the world so I sought a divorce after several attempts to resolve it between us.
"I informed my family and his family that it cannot continue and they understood. I was hoping that it would stay private but then a concerted attempt has been made to slander me for the last one year. I thought I would not respond but then my silence was being misread and the attacks kept increasing," she said.
Now living in Faridabad, the former Rajya Sabha member alleged she was cheated of crores and lost possession of land she had purchased with her own hard-earned money.
"He kept taking loans, mortgaging my property which he transferred in his name. He borrowed money from locals in Churachandpur and to recover it from him, they have seized the land through underground groups," she alleged.
Mary Kom and Onler married in 2005 and have four children together. Their divorce was finalised in 2023.
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