Indian women's hockey rocked by sexual harassment allegations

File photo of the Indian Women's Hockey team.

Indian women's hockey was today caught in a major scandal after a member of the team has sent a written complaint about sexual harassment by national coach M K Kaushik.

In a separate and unrelated development, an anonymous person has sent to Hockey India (HI) pictures of team videographer Basava Raja in allegedly compromising situations. The photographs were apparently taken during the team's recent trip to China, sources said.

HI has set up committee to probe the allegations against the coach. The committee includes former India captains Zafar Iqbal and Ajit Pal Singh, Sudarshan Pathak and Rajeev Mehta.

The identity of the woman player, who made the allegations, has not been disclosed, but she has been requested to appear before the committee at its meeting today, the sources said.

HI Secretary General Narendra Batra told journalists that HI had kept the Government as well as the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in the loop in the matter.

File photo of M. K. Kaushik.

He said the allegations were shocking and serious and HI would take strong action if they were found to be true.

Coach Kaushik denied the allegations and said he would face the committee and put the truth before it. "The truth will prevail," he told television channels.

The women's hockey team is due to leave in two days for the Asia Cup and the World Cup tournaments. Kaushik said he had withdrawn from the team till his name is cleared. Kaushik has been with the team for more than a decade and such allegations have never cropped up before.

NNN