The case of alleged sexual harassment against two Sports Authority of India (SAI) coaches seems to have lost steam with a SAI official and the four women wrestlers, who were initially said to have lodged a complaint, claiming on Wednesday that the incident never took place.
“All the four girls have withdrawn their complaint. They have stated that their signatures were forged and that they did not accuse any coach of harassment during the camp,” a SAI official told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity.False alarm
"None of the girls who are said to have been harassed by the coaches have complained themselves and therefore it is clear that the wrestlers were unnecessarily dragged into the controversy," he said.
The incident came to the fore when a junior woman wrestler from Haryana accused her coach of sexually harassing her during an U-19 national camp here for the Asian Junior Championships in Kazakhstan from May 31 to June 3.
The wrestler filed a complaint with sports minister Ajay Maken on May 16 alleging that her coach, who also hails from Haryana, forcibly entered her room past midnight on May 15. The complaint had the signatures of four other junior women wrestlers.
{{/usCountry}}The wrestler filed a complaint with sports minister Ajay Maken on May 16 alleging that her coach, who also hails from Haryana, forcibly entered her room past midnight on May 15. The complaint had the signatures of four other junior women wrestlers.
{{/usCountry}}The ministry asked SAI to file a report following which a three-member inquiry committee, headed by Lucknow regional director, Rachna Govil, was constituted. SAI also barred the coach in question from travelling to Kazakhstan till the report was submitted.
The coaches have been identified as Vikram Kumar, WFI treasurer Prem Nath's son, Vishnu Das, an employee with department of sports and youth affairs, Haryana and Ajit Mann.
The official said the complainants claimed it was done to tarnish their image and to deny them a chance to participate in future events. “The controversy could be the result of unhealthy competition between coaches, which is sad.”