Gymnastic Federation of India to have internal inquiry on gymnast harassment issue

NEW DELHI: Gymnastic Federation of India today promised strict against a coach and a player if they are found guilty of charges of 'harassing' a woman player, who lodged a complaint with Delhi Police.

An international-level gymnast and a gymnastics coach, who are part of the squad which has left for the Incheon Asian Games, have been booked for allegedly passing obscene comments and making vulgar gestures at a woman player, police said today.

GFI General Secretary Kaushik Bidiwala told PTI that the federation will conduct an internal inquiry after the Asian Games and strict action will be taken against the alleged offenders if they are found guilty.

"It's an unfortunate and shameful development, if at all such an incident had happened. We will inquire internally if such incidents had happened and if these people are found guilty, strict action will be taken," said Bidiwala, who is on his way to Incheon for the Asian Games which begin on Friday.

He said the coach and the player against whom the FIR was lodged will not be sent back to India.

"We will take the necessary action only after the Asian Games. As of now, they will not be sent back home."

In a complaint lodged with the Delhi Police last night, the trainee-level woman gymnast has alleged that the coach and the player passed vulgar remarks about her clothes and made indecent gestures towards her on September 2 evening during a practice session at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Police said the duo, who left for the South Korean city yesterday, will be questioned in the first week of October after they return to India.

A case has been registered against them under Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at IP Estate police station.