The dispute between Olympic boxing medallist Mary Kom and her former husband Karung Onkholer has taken a sharper turn, with Onkholer strongly denying allegations of financial fraud made against him and making serious counter-claims about the reasons behind the breakdown of their marriage.
Onkholer, also known as Onler, rejected Mary Kom’s recent claims that she was cheated of crores of rupees and deprived of land bought with her own earnings. Calling the allegations baseless, he said he had remained silent for years but was now compelled to respond to protect his reputation.
Speaking to the media, Onler alleged that problems in their marriage began as early as 2013. He claimed that Mary Kom was involved with a junior boxer at the time, which led to tensions between the two families before a compromise was reached. He further alleged that since 2017, she had been in a relationship with a person linked to the Mary Kom Boxing Academy. Onler said he possessed WhatsApp messages related to his claims but chose not to speak publicly earlier. 
He clarified that he does not object to Mary Kom moving on after their separation but strongly objected to being accused of financial wrongdoing in public. Questioning the claims that he siphoned off large sums of money, Onler pointed to his current circumstances, saying he lives in a rented house in Delhi, which, according to him, does not reflect the lifestyle of someone accused of amassing crores. He challenged Mary Kom to produce documentary proof of loans, property transfers or misuse of funds.
The couple married in 2005 and separated in 2023. They have four children. Onler said the divorce was customary and that they have not approached a court so far. He said he wants to avoid prolonged legal proceedings for the sake of their children and expressed deep hurt over what he described as damage to his name and dignity. He added that he had supported Mary Kom throughout her career and personal struggles.
Onler’s remarks came days after Mary Kom told Press Trust of India that she had been financially deceived by her former husband. She alleged that property in her name was mortgaged without her knowledge, large loans were taken, and that she lost land in Churachandpur due to recovery attempts involving underground groups. Mary Kom said she became aware of the extent of the issue after suffering a serious injury ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and later opted for divorce to settle the matter privately.
