Probe panel flays delays in Monika case

Former Chief Election Commissioner flayed the procedural delays by the NDTL, even as he said there was no concrete evidence of any malafides on the part of any individual which the lifter had alleged.

Former Chief Election Commissioner, TS Krishnamurthy, who headed the one-man inquiry committee to probe the controversy surrounding weightlifter Monika Devi's exclusion from the Beijing Olympic Games-bound squad, flayed the procedural delays by the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), even as he said there was no concrete evidence of any malafides on the part of any individual which the lifter had alleged.

HT Image

Monika, who was not allowed to board the flight to Beijing after the NDTL report said she had tested positive for a 'banned substance', had alleged the Sports Authority of India had 'deliberate and malafide' intentions behind preventing her from participating in the Games.

In his report submitted to the Sports Ministry on Friday, Krishnamurthy said, "The whole controversy surrounding the episode could have been avoided had there been better management of the procedures for coaching camps, process of selection, testing of samples as well as communication of results thereof. I am left with the impression that at every stage… the urgency, transparency and sensitivity of the athletes concerned seem to have been put on the backburner and an ad hoc approach to the core issues was more evident. However, I must say, I did not come across any concrete evidence of any malafides on the part of any individual although I am clear that there was lack of unity of purpose among all these persons.”

Despite Krishnamurthy's exhaustive observations, the 19-page report remains inconclusive.