Bollywood actor and Rugby India president Rahul Bose has announced he will not seek the Rugby India presidency as a candidate from the Himachal Pradesh unit, stepping back amid a raging controversy over alleged fraud.
The decision, revealed on December 9, 2025, comes days after a complaint accused Bose of securing a Himachal Pradesh domicile certificate under questionable circumstances to gain voting power and influence in the national body. A former India rugby international, Bose said in a statement that he would not contest the presidency from Himachal Pradesh, citing “personal and professional commitments” and a desire to avoid “misunderstanding or misinterpretation” of the allegations against him.
His move follows mounting pressure from sections of the state’s rugby community and a member of the Jubbal royal family, who says Bose misused their trust and influence.
The Allegations: Forged Domicile and Broken Promises
The storm intensified after Divya (also reported as Diviya) Kumari, a member of the Jubbal royal family in the Shimla district, moved the Himachal Pradesh High Court challenging the legality of Bose’s domicile certificate. She has also publicly accused him of “using a fake Himachal domicile certificate to manipulate rugby elections” and sidelining grassroots organisers who spent years building the sport in the state.
According to her petition and media accounts, Bose first approached the royal family in 2023, promising to help establish and secure recognition for a state-level rugby association under their patronage. Over the next two years, they claim to have mobilised hundreds of members across districts such as Shimla, Kullu, Sirmaur and Solan, funded training and sent players to national events — expecting formal affiliation to follow.
Kumari alleges that the royal family quietly ignored these efforts. A new Himachal rugby body was allegedly formed “from scratch” without proper district representation or transparency, while the original association was left in limbo.
At the heart of the legal challenge is the question of how Bose, who was born in Kolkata and has long been based in Mumbai, could hold domicile documents from Maharashtra and simultaneously obtain a Himachal Pradesh domicile certificate. Critics say that certificate enabled him to secure crucial votes from Himachal in Rugby India elections, strengthening his position at the national level.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued notices to Bose, the state government, and others, seeking their response and setting the matter for hearing on December 18, 2025.
Bose’s Response: A Step Back for Clarity
Bose, who was elected president of Rugby India in 2021 and has been a prominent face of the sport’s revival through the Rugby Premier League (RPL), has so far taken a restrained line in public.
In his statement, he said he would not be seeking the Rugby India presidency from Himachal Pradesh and stressed that “ethics and integrity” are the guiding principles of his life. On the domicile controversy, he said it was “appropriate to allow the Honourable Court to review the facts and arrive at a decision,” adding that he welcomed a transparent judicial process.
Bose did not directly address specific fraud allegations but reiterated his commitment to supporting rugby “in every ethical and constructive way possible.”
Rugby Community Divided: Calls for Probe and Reform
The rugby fraternity is sharply divided.
Supporters credit Bose with using his celebrity profile to push rugby into the mainstream, especially by championing the franchise-based Rugby Premier League that debuted in June 2025 in Mumbai and has been hailed as a “game-changer” for Indian rugby, both on and off the field.
Detractors — especially players and organisers from Himachal — argue that the domicile controversy has exposed deeper problems of governance and transparency in the sport. They have demanded an independent probe into how state associations are formed, how votes are allocated and how eligibility rules are enforced.
“This isn’t just about one certificate,” critics say in various complaints and interviews. “It’s about whether grassroots workers and district players can be pushed aside when it suits those at the top.”
Bose’s decision to step back from the Himachal-based presidency bid has temporarily eased public calls for his immediate resignation, but it has also intensified demands for structural reform and clearer rules within Rugby India.
A Rugby Rift Widens
Rahul Bose’s pause on his presidency bid is less a quiet exit than a turning point. As questions pile up over domicile rules, power plays, and promises made to local stakeholders, the case now sits before the courts — and under the unforgiving glare of public scrutiny.
At stake is more than one man’s leadership. The controversy asks a larger question of Indian sport: can federations claim to grow the game while bending rules meant to ensure fair play off the field?
As Himachal’s rugby hopefuls wait for answers and the December 18 hearing approaches, one thing is clear — the biggest tackles in this saga are happening far away from the try line.
— By Manoj H