Two women footballers of Himachal Pradesh club Khad FC have made some serious allegations against All India Football Federation executive committee member Deepak Sharma. A women’s football team player has also been accused of being assaulted by an AIFF official in a hotel.
According to the women players, Deepak Sharma assaulted them in the hotel room during the ongoing Indian Women’s League 2 in Goa. The footballers filed a complaint with the AIFF on Friday, while the women players were allegedly assaulted in a hotel room in Goa on Thursday.
According to the women footballers, Deepak Sharma got angry that the women players were cooking and beat them up. Deepak Sharma is the General Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Football Association and the Vice-Chairman of the Competition Committee of the AIFF. The footballers also alleged that Sharma was drunk at the time of the incident and was drinking in front of them when they were travelling from Himachal Pradesh to Goa.
Palak Verma is also among the women footballers who have been abused. She spoke to ‘NDTV’ about this incident. Palak Sharma said, ‘That day I was injured and came to my room with eggs. Around 10.30-11pm I was cooking eggs in the kitchen with another girl. At that time sir called us to his room. Another girl went to his room and was asked what are you doing. She told them that the eggs were being prepared. Sir scolded the girl and then called me inside. He rudely asked why I was making eggs and am I ‘special’?.” Palak Verma added, Sir was drunk”
Speaking further, Palak Verma said, ‘I explained to him that the food is over and so I am cooking eggs in the room. He was drunk at that time. He asked me to throw away the egg. I started crying and went to my room. She came in and started knocking on the door. Hearing this Sir came to the room and entered the room without knocking the door. They came and beat me. My roommate stopped him and then they left.
Palak further said that now she is being pressured to withdraw the complaint. “Then his wife Nandita, who is also the manager of the club, came and put pressure on us,” said Palak. She told us that we had no value. We have complained to GFA and AIFF. They will investigate.
Palak said that she could not sleep after the incident. They cannot even play because their mental condition is not right. Speaking about the incident, GFA Vice President Jonathan D’Souza said, ‘I met the parties after receiving the complaint. A report will be sent to AIFF for necessary action. I also went to the hotel at night and felt like this. From the GFA’s point of view, reporting to the police was important. But our role was limited as we were not victims and could not lodge an FIR. But we have sent the girl’s complaint to the police for the safety of the girls. And they have been informed about the incident.
Head of AIFF Women’s Football Committee Miss Valanka Alemao also met the girls. They took the girls to a room where no one else was. We hope the girls get justice.’
Based on the complaint of Goa Football Association, Deepak Sharma has been summoned to Mapusa Police Station for questioning. AIFF has yet to comment on the entire matter.
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