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Athletes preparing for future competitions at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre in Solalgaon, Assam, have made sexual harassment allegations against the swimming coach Mrinal Basumatary. They have filed an FIR at the nearest police station against the man in charge at the SAI training centre.
According to a release from SAI, most of the athletes who have levelled the sexual harassment allegations on Basumatary are minor girls. The complaint against him was lodged at the Paltan Bazar Police Station in Guwahati on May 18, Thursday. It was done while taking into account the “gravity of the matter.”
“As SAI adopts zero tolerance policy towards sexual harassment cases, the same will be followed up so as to ensure that justice is delivered to our athletes,” the SAI release further stated.
The reports mention that the matter of sexual harassment against Mrinal Basumatary was brought to everyone’s attention by some of the SAI athletes, STC Solalgaon, and their coach at Guwahati, on the sidelines of selection trials. Shortly afterwards, the matter was forwarded to the internal committee, at the regional centre of the nodal sports body, who started a probe on it immediately.
Furthermore, SAI sources in Guwahati regional centre have said that the matter is the “highest priority due to the highly sensitive nature” of it. But they haven’t commented on it any further.
Notably, another similar matter has led the top Indian wrestlers including Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat to protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh since the start of the year in Delhi. The wrestlers have finally been able to register an FIR against the WFI chief, accusing him of sexual harassment.