Female athlete accuses SAI coach of sexual assault in Cuttack

Police inspecting the SAI complex in Alappuzha where a student committed suicide

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) was engulfed by controversy on Wednesday, when a young female athlete accused her Coach of sexual assault at the SAI center Barabati stadium in Cuttack.

The victim told the Daily Pioneer, “the coach slapped me outside the centre after my training and threatened me. I have reported with all the details of the incident to the chief of the training centre.”

The victim is a gold medal winner in long distance running at the East Zone athletic meet, is being trained at the SAI centre along with seven others. One of the Coach’s, Sushanta Roy has allegedly been sexually harassing the sprinter for the past few days.

An FIR was filed with Mahila police by the victim, alleging that Roy repeatedly molested and tortured the girl physically. She also accused him of mental torture.

On Wednesday, when the athlete was involved in an argument with her co-runner, Roy came to the spot and slapped the girl, also threatening to throw her out from the centre.

She told everything to her parents, who decided to lodge a written complaint against the coach with the Cuttack Mahila police.“Our daughter told us everything over phone about the incident,” victim’s father Sheikh Mamun Rashid said.

“A case under section 354-A (criminal force with intent to outrage modesty, 323 (causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (common intention) of IPC and section 10 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (Pocso) Act has been registered on the basis of her complant,” said the Mahila police station inspector Sakuntala Pati.

SAI centre chief Manoj Kumar Vadra said he learnt about the incident when the victim informed him over phone.

Roy, however, rejected all the charges brought against him by the sprinter. “Yes, as a teacher, I’ve slapped her for fighting with other athletes. But, there has been no sexual harassment,” he said.

This is not the first time that SAI has come under controversy recently. A young national level triple jumper was found hanging in her room in the SAI complex in Kerala for not being allowed to use her cellphone.

The 17-year old was a budding triple-jumper and recently won a bronze medal at the National inter club Championship.

The safety and security of athletes has come under question with such incidents taking place in the SAI centers.