Weightlifting coach sacked after Malleswari blows the whistle

The MK Kaushik saga has not yet ended and another sexual harassment case has surfaced in Indian sports. This time, the authorities seem to be in a hurry act upon the case.

Hours after Karnam Malleswari came out with allegations of sexual harassment against coach Ramesh Malhotra, Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) suspended the official and constituted a three-member committee to investigate the charges.

Said IWF secretary Sahdev Yadav, “We do not want this to snowball in to a bigger controversy. We’ve suspended the coach,” Yadav told DNA.

The inquiry committee will be headed by IWF vice-president Kumbasi Subramanya. It is expected to submit a report within seven days. The other two members of the committee are veteran coach Pal Singh Sandhu and IWF joint secretary Madan Lal Salvi. Malleswari, who is also the vice-president of IWF, is not too convinced with the action. The Sydney Olympics bronze medalist said she has been demanding action against the coach for quite some time.

“Everyone, including those who are a part of the probe committee, were present at the meeting in February and had agreed to take action against him, but to my surprise the man has been recommended for Dronacharya.” Malleswari told DNA.

According to her, at the meeting held in Udaipur, her charges where rebutted by an official who said it is difficult to check the character of the coach.

Malleswari revealed that the coach had pleaded with her to go soft on him after the meeting. “After the meeting, Malhotra came to me, pleading to drop the charges, claiming that he has become a reformed man,” said Malleswari.

But the federation was quick to say that Malleswari never raised the issue. Yadav said he was surprised by the timing of the charges. “I have been speaking to almost all lifters since we (committee set since Dec 2009) have taken power, but no one came up with any such complaints all this while,” Yadav remarked.